Luthor's Assassin
by Meridianpony
Summary: Upon his parent's deaths during a circus "accident" in Metropolis, Dick Grayson is taken in by Lex Luthor, who sees much potential in him. Dick is trained by the mercenary Deathstroke to become Luthor's personal assassin. Can the Justice League and Young Justice convince the dangerous boy that he's on the wrong side?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, this is my first attempt at posting a story officially. Wish me luck! Just real quick... this is kind of a prologue, so it's short... tell me if you'd like more! And in this story, my idea is that Dick's parents are killed when their circus is in Metropolis, not Gotham. Yes, Mercy is a robot in this, like she is in Young Justice. So without further ado...

Lex Luthor normally wouldn't be bothered by such events. He had much more important things to do than attending a _circus_, of all things- but Mercy informed him that it would help his public image up, so he reluctantly went.

He clapped and smiled at the clowns, the ponies, and the tightrope walkers, but it was all a show- inwardly he cringed at the crude humor, cotton candy, and child-like atmosphere.

It took him a second to notice when that atmosphere changed.

The nets beneath the trapeze were being _removed_.

Despite his efforts to remain uninterested, he felt his curiosity perk up. The next act was sure to be different, if it was to be done without any safety regulations.

Then again, it may just be so incredibly simple that it didn't require the net.

Spotlights paraded around, and the ringmaster, a very plump, boisterous man, waddled out, holding a megaphone in his hand.

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you…" here he paused dramatically, and Luthor almost snorted out loud, "…the Flying Graysons!"

They came out, one by one, soaring on the trapeze so easily it looked like they were flying, true to their name. A whole family of them (but Lex didn't care enough to count them). As they flipped through the air expertly, one form, smaller than the rest, stood out among the others.

A boy… very young, eight, nine at the most? The ringmaster was still speaking, Lex tuned him out and focused all his attention on the child.

Ebony hair, athletic body, slightly olive-toned skin- he found it hard to believe his eyes, it shouldn't be possible that someone so young could defy gravity like that.

But his eyes weren't deceiving him.

The boy would make an excellent assassin.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head to get rid of it. He was Lex Luthor, billionaire, genius, and (dare he say it) arch-nemesis of Superman! He had no need for an assassin! But as more possibilities crossed his mind, he found himself pondering the option even more.

It was about then that the Graysons were approaching their finale.

He watched as the boy pouted and returned to the platform on the edge of the ring, not allowed to participate in the final trick. The rest of his family swung down on the trapeze, beginning their final routine-

_CRACK._

A sickening noise, several screams, the sound of shattering bone.

Bloody bodies on the ground.

Luthor stared down at the now dead family impassively. He was no stranger to death- not anymore. It no longer fazed him.

So as the crowd erupted into panic and shouting filled the tent, he slowly stood and brought his gaze up to the traumatized boy, whose screams sounded over everything else.

No, he had not arranged this. He knew Superman would try to blame him simply because he was there, but as far as anyone could tell, it had been an "accident"(Through years of experience, Lex had learned to see when said "accidents" weren't really accidents at all. This was one of those times).

Lex brushed invisible lint off his suit and turned to Mercy, who had risen at the beginning of the panic to ensure his safety.

"Mercy," he said, not taking his eyes from the sobbing child, who was now being coaxed down by a sympathetic clown, "get me down there. Now."

Moments later, he stood before the boy in question.

He was sobbing in the ringmaster's arms, trembling. He had the purest blue eyes Luthor had ever seen, and they glistened with tears. The ringmaster gently turned the boy towards him.

"Richard," he called softly, but the boy let out a pained cry and buried his face back into the man's chest.

The ringmaster gave Lex a helpless look, and the genius sighed. Children were Superman's specialty, not his. But he bent down to the boy, Richard's, level and cautiously held out a hand.

Richard glanced up at him, curiosity shining through the sadness and grief, and Luthor smiled as kindly as he could to the boy.

"Hello, Richard. My name is Lex Luthor," he tried hesitantly, and cringed at the small whimper the boy let out, hurrying to continue. "Would you like to come and stay at my home for a while?" He knew the offer was very rushed, and the ringmaster gave him a curious look, but he pressed on, now addressing the plump man.

"Mr.… Haley, was it? I believe I can provide Richard with a place to stay. If you'll allow it, I would like to take him in."

The man's mouth opened in a surprised "o", and, seeing he was about to protest, hastily added, "And along with that, I would like to fund the circus with money to honor the Graysons." A little bribery always helped in these situations.

At his last name, Richard let out another sob, but Mr. Haley's eyes widened. He looked extremely conflicted, but Luthor was growing impatient.

"He would be well taken care of," he prompted, and the man glanced at the boy in his arms.

"But… Dick is part of our circus family… we can't just…" Haley said haltingly.

"Think of the good it'll do for him, Mr. Haley," Lex snapped, "It is almost definitely more suitable for the boy than the rough conditions he would be in if he stayed."

Mr. Haley looked slightly shocked at being addressed in such a manner, but Lex waited as logic worked its way into the ringmaster's head, and he nodded slowly.

"Excellent," Lex said, snapping his fingers as Mr. Haley handed Richard over to Mercy despite the whimpering protests, "Mercy, finish up here. I have a call to make."

He walked a short distance away, smirking with pleasure. All the possibilities! The last Flying Grayson had so much potential, and now it was his to exploit! But first…

He pulled out his phone and dialed a well-used number. It only rang once before it was picked up.

"Hello, Luthor," a smooth, deep voice said, and Lex smiled.

"Deathstroke," he replied, "I have a task for you…"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Alright, here's the first real chapter. Thank you for the reviews guys! Just one thing though, Soaring Grayson, you have no idea how much it means to me that you reviewed! Your story "Discovery" is like one of my favorites, I literally almost screamed when I saw your username on the screen! Thank you so much! Oh, and I realized that I totally forgot a disclaimer last time, so... I don't own Young Justice, as cool as that would be... *SIGH*. See if you can tell who's who during the Light's meeting!

It had been two weeks since Luthor had taken Richard in, and already the young ward had exceeded all of Lex's expectations. He was quite skilled in acrobatics, as expected, but also proved to be a quick learner. As far as he could tell, the boy was thriving under Deathstroke's training, the only bumps being his occasional breakdowns because of the deaths of his parents. And those would disappear within time.

A light began to blink on his desk, and he pressed it, sitting back in his chair as the room dimmed and the shades on the windows closed. Six screens lowered themselves from the ceiling and activated, putting Luthor in the center of a ring, each screen showing the outline of a person bathed in bright light.

A deep voice came from one screen, which had been labeled with an "L-1".

"Begin your report, L-2."

Luthor nodded and began to speak in a calculating voice.

"As far as I know, project CADMUS is thriving with their newly found funds we have been providing. Their first few experiments have proven to be successful, and within a few years, we may have a sufficient army to combat the Justice League."

There were several noises of appreciation from around the circle.

"That is excellent news, L-2," another voice, this time female, came from L-3.

"Indeed," L-4 said in a deep voice. "And what of their… proposal?"

Lex continued to speak.

"CADMUS's proposal of a project Kr is… well-received, to say the least. A clone of Superman created with the intents to destroy him would certainly work in our favor. However, they have deemed full kryptonian DNA too unstable to work with."

"What do you suggest, L-2?" L-5 said with a metallic voice, and Luthor glanced at that screen before turning back to L-1.

"I would like to offer my DNA to be combined with the Kryptonian's so that the procedure would work without casualties. According to Dr. Desmond's beliefs, the clone would maintain the majority of Superman's powers, as well as being less dangerous to work with."

Silence for a moment. The Light was thinking, weighing Lex's idea carefully.

L-6 broke the silence.

"What guarantee do we have that this will not change the clone in any way? With your connection to Superman, how does the Light know that you are doing this for them, and not your own personal gain, L-2?"

"I assure you, L-6, anything I or CADMUS does is for the Light, and the Light alone," Luthor said, carefully keeping his tone neutral. "But as one of Superman's main… competitors, as I like to put it… I believe I am obligated to have a more personal hand in his demise."

More silence. Then:

"Very well, L-2," L-1 said. "Your request will be granted. How long is it estimated to be until Project Kr can begin?"

"The scientists require more research, and multiple attempts will be made." Lex said, "But it is not expected to meet success for another three years."

"The Light is willing to wait," L-3 said, and the rest of the Light nodded in agreement.

"Well then," L-1 said, "L-2, if there isn't anything else to report, then-"

"What about the kiddy, L-2?" L-7, who had been silent until this time, interrupted in a childish voice, "Will he serve the Light, too?"

Lex resisted the urge to swear, or face palm. Of course L-7 would be the one to bring _that _up.

"Of course," he reassured the figure. "The boy shows much potential. I believe he will aid the Light much more willingly when he overcomes his grief for the loss of his parents."

"See that it happens, L-2. If the child will not serve us, then you _will _terminate him. Understood?" L-3 hissed, and Luthor grit his teeth.

"Those were my intentions anyway," he said, struggling to keep his voice emotionless, and then the screens went black and the members of the Light were gone.

Lex sat back down in his chair slowly, folding his hands together and resting his chin on top in a reflective gesture. He turned to regard a security feed streaming from one of the gyms in his private suite.

"You will serve the Light, Richard," Luthor muttered to himself, watching the child train with Deathstroke. "You will serve it if it's the last thing I do."

**_line break_ For some reason they aren't showing up, so I guess I'll just type it out- Sorry!**

Dick dove to the side as Slade's fist flew past him, rolling and coming up to his feet. He aimed a quick kick at Deathstroke, which was easily blocked, then darted backwards before Slade could strike again.

"Good, Richard," Slade growled. "But not good enough." Suddenly he was right in front of him, and a quick leg sweep was enough to knock the smaller boy to the ground.

"You need to focus, child," he said, charging towards the younger. Dick yelped and somersaulted to his feet, diving around Slade with a quick display of acrobatics. Deathstroke twisted, and his fist slammed into Dick's face. The little acrobat tumbled across the sparring mats and skidded to a stop.

"Pay attention to how your enemy moves, Richard. How I'm going to strike. What you can use against me. Think, what can I do compared to you? What can you use to your advantage?"

Dick rose, sporting a heavy bruise on his cheek. His face was scrunched up in concentration, crystal blue eyes blazing with determination. As Slade approached him again, he did a quick front handspring and flipped over his trainer, using Deathstroke's shoulders as a springboard and disappearing into the rafters.

Slade let out a pleased sound, looking up and straining his single eye to see the boy through the shadows.

"Excellent, Richard. You're thinking now. But how do you know I can't get up there as well?" In a single leap, Deathstroke jumped up into the rafters, his heavier weight causing the beams to groan in protest. Dick felt himself relax as the sounds moved away from his hiding spot.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Dick jerked around to come face-to-face with Slade.

"Wha- how did you…" he stammered, eyes wide, and Slade chuckled.

"Expect the unexpected, Richard," he said softly, and then Dick was airborne, tumbling through the air towards the ground. He felt weightless and there was a twisting sensation in his gut, but then the fear hit him- a picture flashed in front of his eyes-

_His parents were on the ground, bloody and broken, once so proud and free, and now- he screamed and reached for them, but they were already gone, they had already fell, and there was absolutely nothing he could do-_

Suddenly Dick was caught in strong arms, and then he was set down on the ground gently. He opened his eyes, which he realized had been squeezed shut, and looked up to see Slade standing over him. With a jolt he realized that there were tears streaming down his face, and he hurriedly wiped them away with his sleeve. Slade hated it when he cried.

But to his surprise, Slade didn't continue the sparring session, nor did he shove him to his feet. He simply stood there as Dick composed himself and shakily stood in a fighting stance. Then Deathstroke shook his head.

"We're done with sparring today, Dick. My job is to train you, not traumatize you."

Dick snapped his head up in surprise at the use of his nickname, then obediently got to his feet when Slade gestured for him to follow.

Slade led Dick to the center of the room and pointed at the opposite wall, where circular targets were set up.

"I'm going to show you how to shoot, Dick." He put something cold and metallic in Dick's hands, and the boy looked down to see the sleek form of a pistol in his grasp.

"Wait, but… I've never…"

"Well then, now's the time to learn. Don't you want to please Luthor?"

Dick thought about it for a second. Lex hadn't really spoken to him the entire time he was there, and a small part of him hated the genius for it. But then again, maybe it was because he wasn't good enough. Maybe if he did better, learned from Slade, then the man who had taken him in would pay even just a _tiny bit_ of attention to him.

"I… I guess?"

"Good."

Deathstroke moved his own hands over Dick's and brought their hands up, guiding him through the motions.

"It's already loaded," Slade said, adjusting Dick's fingers beneath his own, "so flick the safety off first…" He trailed off and Dick did as he said, flicking the little trigger to the red zone. "Good. Now we aim, and fire." Without hesitation, Slade squeezed the trigger from over Dick's finger and fired off three quick shots.

Dick gasped and jerked back from the recoil, and Slade stepped away.

"Fire, Dick." Slade said, and Dick hesitantly positioned the pistol how Deathstroke had showed him and squeezed the trigger, jerking at the recoil even more without Slade's support.

"Good, apprentice," Slade purred, and Dick fidgeted uncomfortably with the use of the new title. "Again."

**_Line Break_**

By the end of the day, Dick's aim had improved greatly, and Slade had deemed him good enough to move on to a different type of target.

Dick stared as Deathstroke set up another human-shaped target and turned to him.

"Shoot to kill, Richard."

Dick gripped the gun and hesitantly brought it up and aimed at the figure, then lowered it.

"Deathstroke… Slade… Mom said it was wrong to take a life. She… she said…"

"Your mother is dead, child. Remember?" Deathstroke had no pity for the boy this time. There were occasions when he would allow him to grieve, but now was not one of those times.

Dick's lower lip trembled and he flinched at Slade's words, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"But I don't… I…"

Now Slade was getting impatient.

"You aren't really killing anyone! They're just targets. Shoot, now."

"B-but… it's _like_ I'm killing someone. And I don't-"

"You _will _shoot these targets as if you were firing to kill a person, apprentice. Don't make me do something we'll both regret."

Dick met his trainer's single grey eye steadily and let the weapon drop from his fingers. Memories sprang up in his head before he had a chance to speak- his mother, her laugh, her scent, her fingers running through his hair soothingly-

"My mom wouldn't want me to kill anyone for any reason, Slade. So I won't."

Instantly he knew he had made a mistake. Deathstroke growled and, without warning, his armored fist was smashing into Dick's chest. Dick stumbled backwards, gasping at the hit. Slade loomed over him dangerously, holding the gun out.

"Take the weapon."

The mercenary's voice was soft, but Dick had never heard anyone sound so scary in his entire life.

Trembling, he moved to stand, but not before Slade delivered a kick to his already aching chest, sending him back to the floor in pain.

"That's for disobeying me," Deathstroke hissed. "You will not do it again, are we clear?"

Dick nodded mutely, taking the weapon from the man's hand and standing shakily, gasping at the pain in his ribs as he did so. The nine-year-old took careful aim at the target, took a deep breath, and then squeezed off a round of shots, wincing as he did so.

Slade strode over to the dummy and inspected the holes, nodding in approval at what he saw.

Three bullets were embedded in the target's chest; the rest had missed completely or hit nonlethal places. But there was a single bullet that had gone straight through the target's head.

"We're done for the day, apprentice. You may go."

Dick set down the gun and darted out the door without a backwards glance, racing back to his quarters that Luthor had set up for him when he had first arrived and throwing himself onto his bed.

It was not the first time he had cried after training, but it would definitely not be the last.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: here's the next part. Thank you so much for your support guys! It means so much to me! Okay, the ending to this one isn't the best, but it isn't completely terrible either, sorry about that. I don't own Young Justice.

When Superman broke down the titanium doors to Luthor's office, fully prepared to take a leaf out of Batman's book and beat the answers he needed out of him, he was surprised to see the young boy at the desk instead of the evil genis.

The boy looked perfectly relaxed and he had his feet kicked up on Luthor's desk. Bright blue eyes peered up at the man of steel, and he smirked slightly at Superman's surprised expression.

"Expecting someone else?" the child asked softly with a slight accent that Superman couldn't quite place, and at once he recognized that this was no ordinary boy.

He carefully landed on the ground (because he had been hovering) and took a step forward, noting how the boy's eyes narrowed at the movement.

"Who are you?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the younger, and the boy cocked an eyebrow.

"Richard," he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Superman frowned; obviously this child was determined to be difficult.

"Alright, Richard, but why are you here? At Lexcorp?"

"I live here, most of the time."

Superman couldn't hide his confusion, and the boy let out a cackle, startling the last Kryptonian.

"I'm Luthor's…" here he paused, as if searching for the right word, "…ward."

Superman was suddenly struck with recognition. He remembered now- Luthor had, without explanation, taken an orphaned child in from the circus where his parents had been killed. The man of steel had been suspicious of this action before, but Lex had kept the boy out of the public's eye for such a long time that Superman had honestly forgotten he was there.

"Well, Richard-"he began, but was cut off.

"Dick," Richard interrupted, and Superman froze for a split second before scowling.

"That wasn't very-"

Again, Richard interrupted.

"It's a nickname for Richard. I prefer being called it."

"Oh."

For a second, Superman was speechless. Then he regained his composure and gave Dick a hesitant smile.

"My apologies, Dick. I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Dick said, and Superman sighed in annoyance. What was with this kid and interrupting? "I get it a lot."

Cue the awkward silence once more.

Finally, Superman tore his eyes away from Dick and let his eyes wander over the desk, trying in vain to see the contents; Luthor had made sure his desk was lead-lined when he bought it.

"Dick," he said, and said child tensed at his name, "I need something from your…" he struggled for the correct term, "…adopted father. Is he around?"

"You mean Lex?" Dick asked, stretching in the chair in a way that made Superman shudder, the boy was incredibly flexible. "He's out of the country. He's not supposed to return until Tuesday."

Now Superman was angry.

"He left you all alone here?" he growled, and Dick straightened at the angered tone, sitting up straight and narrowing his eyes warily.

"No," the young acrobat replied, "D- Slade and Wintergreen are here too."

"Who are they?" Superman questioned, "And where are they? They shouldn't be leaving someone as young as you-"

"I'm not as young as you think," Dick hissed, suddenly defensive. "I'll be ten next week, and I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

"I don't doubt it," Superman reassured, attempting to sooth the boy's anger, "but-"

"They're around here somewhere, if that's what you want to know. And to answer your earlier question, Wintergreen is my caretaker, while Slade is my… trainer, I guess."

There was something in the way he said it, something bitter in his tone, that made Superman narrow his eyes in suspicion. It sounded like Dick was hiding something. He began to move forward, approaching the desk.

"Dick-"he tried, and was surprised when said boy flipped over the back of his chair and growled at him. Wait, that's right, he _had_ grown up in a circus.

"Don't come any closer," Dick snarled, backing up slowly. "Slade told me not to trust you at all. He told me you would try something."

Superman growled under his breath. One year and Luthor was already corrupting the boy. Something had to be done. And what had Dick been hiding earlier?

A sudden thought struck him, and he furrowed his brow. It _was_ possible, but… he didn't think Luthor would stoop to that level! Although, the man of steel had known the genius to do some terribly cruel things in the past-

Praying that he was wrong, he blinked, activating his X-ray vision and giving Dick a quick scan, heart sinking at what he saw.

Multi-colored bruises blossomed beneath Dick's skin, some old and almost healed, and others fresh and bright. With a closer look, he realized that each was done with precision so that they would remain hidden even with different clothes on. As he continued his inspection, he noticed the faint layer of makeup covering Dick's face.

He almost didn't want to look, knowing what he would find, but did anyway, barely restraining his gasp at the massive black and blue bruise under the makeup on Dick's left cheek. He grit his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Dick," he forced out, "who hits you?"

At this, Dick's eyes widened, and he took a step back from the Kryptonian.

"What- how did- wha…" he sputtered, then trailed off, giving Superman an angry glare.

"X-ray vision," he mumbled, "should've known."

This only confirmed Superman's fears.

"Dick, who hits you? It's Luthor, isn't it," he accused, and Dick cocked an eyebrow at him neutrally, but Superman could hear his heart rate speed up.

"No," Dick said, "_he_ doesn't."

"There was a ring of truth in his words, but it still left the real question unanswered.

"Who hits you then, if Luthor doesn't?" he asked, and there was a flicker of emotion that flashed across the boy's face- _fear_? But it was gone faster than Superman could fully make sense of it.

"I train a lot," the boy tried, "practice my acrobatics and whatever. Can't let the family tradition die, can I? Sometimes I get hurt. Big deal."

Superman highly doubted that. You didn't get fist shaped bruises on your ribs falling off a trapeze.

"Dick…"

Now he was right in front of the desk, and Dick looked at him dangerously.

"Don't come any closer, Superman," he demanded, but the man of steel ignored him, and Dick's blue eyes widened as Superman approached. He whipped a drawer out on Luthor's lead desk, reached inside, and held a small object up just as the Kryptonian reached him- something small, green, and glowing-

_Kryptonite._

Superman couldn't hold in the gasp of pain that escaped him as Dick held the rock out towards him, his face void of all emotions.

"I did warn you," he said as Superman stumbled away. "I tried to be reasonable, but Lex told me that wouldn't work. I should've used his advice from the beginning." He moved a little closer, and the man of steel struggled to not collapse then and there.

"D-Dick," he groaned, "t-this isn't-"

Dick made a soft "tch" noise and placed a small object on the floor.

"Lex left you a message," he uttered in a low voice, and then pressed the small red button on the object. Suddenly, a hologram of Lex Luthor himself appeared, being projected by the object.

Superman sucked in a deep breath, preparing himself to yell at the genius, but before he could, Lex spoke.

"I'd like to let you know, Superman, before you start mindlessly yelling, that this is a recorded message. I cannot hear you, no matter how loudly you shout," Luthor stated sarcastically, with a dismissive wave of his hand. Superman growled at Lex's nerve, but couldn't find the strength to do anything else.

"Now, if you're seeing this, I'm assuming you have done something foolish, as usual, and have come bursting into my office seeking the blueprints of Lexcorp's newest ion weapons, I do hope you didn't tear down my door again," at this Superman looked rather guiltily at the hole where the door had previously been, " and met Richard, here."

"Now, knowing you, you probably attempted to wrestle some information out of the boy. I left him a present to give you along with this message; I do hope he was able to give it to you." Dick tossed the kryptonite up into the air and caught it casually at these words. "Nevertheless, Superman, I regret to inform you," his smirk here implied the opposite, "that your concerns about the weapons are incorrect. For once, I have not included any terribly devious or law-breaking items in the packaging, nor am I selling the goods to a psychotic maniac. The blueprints are perfectly clean, you are welcome to look over them as much as you'd like. You'll find them empty of any deceit."

"I'll be the judge of that," Superman gasped out, forgetting for a second that Luthor couldn't hear him.

"The blueprints are in the top left drawer of my desk, Superman. And I assure you, there are no traps or tricks involved this time. Oh, and Superman? Do leave poor Richard alone. He has enough to worry about without your accusations. He often takes his training_ far_ too seriously, and injures himself accidentally as a result. Good day."

The hologram shut off, and it took Superman a moment to realize that he could no longer feel the effects of the kryptonite. Blinking and getting to his feet, he looked wearily over at where Dick had been seconds before.

The boy and the kryptonite were gone, and an eerie laugh echoing around the room was the only proof that they had even been there at all.

Superman shook off his unease, gathered the blueprints, and soared off into the night sky.

**_Line Break_**

Dick had never been so apprehensive of a Tuesday in all his life.

When Luthor returned, he was summoned down to Lex's office for the first time since he'd arrived. He respectfully lowered his gaze as Lex looked him over.

"Well Richard," Lex said after a long pause, "I have to say, I am very impressed with the way you handled Superman while I was gone. Deathstroke didn't even have to step in."

Dick's head jerked up, a hopeful look in his eyes. Luthor was… _impressed _with him?

"I suppose it couldn't be helped that Superman noticed the results of your training," Lex sighed, coming around the side of his desk and approaching Dick slowly. "And what can he prove? Most everyone has forgotten about Richard Grayson by now anyway."

Dick winced at his words, and then stiffened as Luthor rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Excellent work, my boy," Lex said, giving him a hearty pat, then turning in an obvious dismissal. Dick felt his heart soar at those four words; at last Luthor was paying attention to him! And he was proud of him, no less!

He turned to leave, but just at the door, he glanced back and saw Lex watching him.

"Thank you, sir," he whispered, averting his eyes from the genius's gaze, and then he continued out of the office towards the gym. He had more training to do.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Oh geez, I really don't like this one. I feel like it was really rushed and confusing, and at the end Slade was totally OOC, but I don't even care at this point. Today is my last day to update before I go on a summer trip, and I would feel really bad if I didn't post something before that. I'll be back on Sunday, so I'll probably post again Monday, sorry. I'm super excited for a couple chapters just ahead of this… expect a Batman encounter! Okay, last thing, imagine Dick's Renegade outfit similar to his Robin one, just with different coloring and the Lexcorp symbol instead of an R. Thanks reviewers, you guys seriously make my day, and I don't own! Alright, here's the chapter, sorry it's not my best.

He was training when Slade gave him the news.

Dick was sparring against one of Slade's robots, like he always did whenever Deathstroke was busy. Mercy was… supervising, that is to say, ensuring that Dick's training was coming along for Luthor. Once Dick had wondered what would happen if Mercy didn't find any progress, but he had never gotten the courage to ask.

Slade entered the room just as Dick was delivering a spinning kick to the robot's face, knocking it down to the ground. He had a bag slung over his shoulder. Dick sighed; it looked like Deathstroke had been called out on a contract. Not that he loved training, but he didn't really have anything else to do while Slade was gone.

Slade called him over and he obeyed, and he noticed that the bag was significantly smaller than the normal one he carried, and it was a slightly different shade of green. He looked at his trainer curiously.

"Do you have a contract today, Slade?" he questioned, not really expecting an answer, and was surprised when Deathstroke stopped and turned to face him.

"No," he mused quietly, and Dick felt his curiosity grow even more, "_I_ don't."

"Then why-"Dick began, but Slade cut him off by throwing him the bag, which was significantly heavier than it looked.

"But you do."

Dick felt his blood run cold at Slade's words.

"You mean…_ I'm_ getting a contract?"

Deathstroke glared at him as an answer, tossing him a file.

"Their names are Jerold Hayden and Scott Elroy. They're American mob bosses known in Metropolis for their drug dealings and quick work when it comes to disappearing."

"And you want me too…" Dick made a sliding motion over his own throat, feeling slightly sick when Slade nodded at him coldly. "Why?"

"One of their competitors wants them out of the way." The mercenary's voice was emotionless and dangerous.

"I-I don't think that's a good reason to-"

"These are evil men, apprentice," Deathstroke snarled. "They deserve to die. And we've been hired to put them in their place, so you will."

Dick shuddered. Shooting a human-like target was one thing… but shooting a real person?

_All life is sacred, little robin. Treat everyone with kindness and respect, and you'll find that kindness returned to you. _

_ All life is sacred…_

His mother's voice…

His voice trembled when he spoke.

"Slade… I don't think… I don't want to…"

A single grey eye narrowed dangerously, and Dick flinched involuntarily.

"You _will_, apprentice. You know what will happen if you don't." Deathstroke threatened, and Dick shuddered as a sniper rifle was pressed into his unresponsive hands.

Suddenly, Slade cocked his head as if listening to something, then brought a hand to his ear.

"Yes?" he growled out in a deadly tone, and Dick realized he was speaking to someone over a communicator. There was a slight pause, and then Deathstroke continued: "Excellent. The boy and I will be there shortly."

"Slade?" Dick asked, slightly confused, and the mercenary only glowered at him.

"Come,_ Renegade_."

Dick flinched at the alter-ego name Deathstroke had chosen for him, then followed obediently towards the roof of Lexcorp.

**_Break Line_**

The helicopter dropped him off on a building on the east side of Metropolis.

"You know what to do, apprentice?" Slade's voice came from the communicator in his ear, and Dick immediately let out a nervous breath.

"Yes, Slade," he responded shakily, shouldering the sniper rifle in his arms and biting his bottom lip as he approached the hit zone. "But… what about Superman?"

Deathstroke chuckled, a sound that chilled him to the bones.

"You don't have to worry about the Boy Scout," Slade chuckled. "He's… otherwise occupied."

In the back of his head Dick wondered what Slade had done, and then he forced himself to focus on the task at hand.

His Renegade outfit was a dark red color that seemed to blend with shadows. A Kevlar vest rested underneath it, along with a thin layer of what Slade called "special armor" that he refused to explain any further. Black pants and a black cape completed the costume, along with a black utility belt. A tiny Lexcorp symbol was on his left shoulder.

His sniper rifle was slung across his back, and his utility belt was stuffed full of explosives and a boomerang-like device that he wasn't quite sure what to call. A silver katana hung at his hip, and a hologlove was on his wrist (because he had grown quite good at hacking in the year Deathstroke had been teaching him).

He approached the edge of the building and rested the rifle on the railing, glancing through the scope to ensure it was working before looking over at the men he had been sent to kill.

In a window in the building just across the small courtyard that was between them, he could see the two mob bosses that he recognized from their files. Scott Elroy had brown hair and a squashed nose, he looked slightly overweight. He was waddling in circles in the room, moving his hand agitatedly as he spoke to his partner.

Jerold Hayden looked more dangerous- at least more like a mob boss. A machine gun was resting against his knee, and he was leaning back against the wall, casually smoking on a cigarette. He had floppy black hair and didn't look at all fazed by the fuss the other was making.

"Renegade…" Slade hissed into his ear, and Dick hesitantly brought the scope to his eye and positioned it on Scott's chest. He stood there for a moment, frozen, scope tracking on the pacing man, until Deathstroke brought him back to reality.

"Do it!" Slade growled, "Take the shot, _now! _Renegade!"

Dick's finger twitched on the trigger- what was he doing? He was seconds away from killing a human being! He couldn't do this… he couldn't…

"_NOW!_" Slade roared in his ear, and Dick jumped in surprise, his hand tugging on the trigger, obeying his trainer without thought just as he had been taught to-

He realized what he'd done the second the spark appeared- everything slowed down, and he knew the bullet wasn't going to miss because he had been trained to not miss-

_I'm sorry, mom._

The fatter man dropped lifelessly to the ground without a single cry, the bullet tearing through his chest. Jerold, the remaining boss, scrambled towards the door without looking back. His cigarette was dropped to the ground, forgotten in his haste, and the wooden floorboards caught on fire just as Dick moved to pursue the second man.

He knew exactly where Jerold was headed. It was all in Slade's file, he had to admit that the mercenary was good at what he did. He ignored Deathstroke's yelling in his ear and pulled out his grappling hook, abandoning the sniper rifle and swinging down towards the street.

He made his way around the building quickly, sticking to the shadows to avoid being seen, and managed to catch the mob boss just as he was running out the back door, sending him to the ground with a well-placed kick.

Jerold scrabbled backwards, almost whimpering in fear as he reached clumsily for his machine gun. Dick kicked it away as he drew the katana from its sheath at his side and raised it above his head-

-then lowered it slowly, shaking his head and averting his gaze from Jerold. He heard Slade snarl.

"Why do you hesitate?" his trainer hissed softly in his ear. "Why? Do you know how many men this man has killed to get to his top dog position? How many kids have been exposed to drugs and crime because of his deals? How many families he's _ripped apart_, just like yours was-"

Dick flinched, stepping back from the terrified man.

"But…"

"You'd be doing the world a favor," Slade whispered dangerously, "ridding this planet of a man who wouldn't think twice about putting a gun to your head and pulling the trigger. One who wouldn't hesitate to destroy the lives of everyone in this city. People like_ him_."

Dick sucked in a shaky breath, returning his gaze to the mob boss. Jerold was slowly getting over his shock, the fear in his eyes replaced by confusion and anger as Dick spoke into his communicator. Behind them, the apartment building was going up in flames, casting a glow over the entire scene. Sparks flew past to be extinguished when they hit the concrete.

He closed his eyes tightly in a desperate attempt to escape reality for a split second, wishing that he could be anywhere, _anywhere_, but here… suddenly there was the familiar noise of a machine gun cocking, and his eyes snapped open.

Jerold was on his feet, AK-47 in hand. A wicked sneer slid onto his face as he leveled the gun directly at the young assassin's face.

"I don't know who you are, or why you were sent to kill me, kid, but it ends now. Hope you enjoy the afterlife."

Slade was screaming at him to _move _through the communicator and he tried to, but his body wasn't responding right. Jerold's finger tightened on the trigger and Dick barely managed to throw himself to the side just as the shots rang out.

For a moment he thought he had escaped harm, but then he felt the sharp pain in his side.

Numbly, he moved his gloved hand to his side, eyes widening when he glanced down to see blood glistening on his fingertips. A bullet had clipped him, punching through his armor at such a close range. He looked back up a Jerold, who was scowling now, preparing to fire off another round of shots.

_"KILL HIM!"_ Deathstroke roared, and Dick acted instinctively, rolling under the stream of bullets and coming up right in front of the mob boss, sword in hand-

Then it was over, and Jerold slumped to the ground just as his partner had, dead at Dick's hand. He stood there panting for a moment, and then he realized what he'd done.

The sword dropped from his hand with a clatter, blood staining the silver metal. The flames were growing larger behind him, but he didn't care at this point.

_I've killed not one, but two men now._

_ I'm a murderer._

A single tear trickled out of his eye from beneath the domino mask.

A firm hand rested on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Slade standing behind him. He flinched when Deathstroke moved his hand to his wound.

"Come, Renegade," Slade murmured in his ear. "We're done here." Dick squeezed his eyes shut and shrugged his mentor's hand off of his shoulder, but the man was persistent.

"Renegade… Richard… _Dick_. You're hurt. Let me help."

Dick submitted to Slade's commands and let the man lead him away towards the helicopter, which had landed behind without him noticing. His entire world felt numb with shock- except his side, and he winced every other step as he walked.

They climbed into the helicopter and lifted into the air.

**_Break Line_**

Luthor slowly turned to regard Slade, narrowing his eyes.

"He killed them both?" he questioned, cocking an eyebrow at the mercenary.

"He did," Slade confirmed, leaning against the wall casually. "Although it took being in mortal danger to get him to kill the second one. And he _was _injured."

Lex waved a hand almost dismissively at his words.

"No matter. Now that the child has effectively killed, we can use it against him. Do you think he would willingly kill again?"

Deathstroke shrugged.

"Maybe if you blackmailed him into doing it. Or if you spoke of the one who killed his family. I almost got to him. Any news on that, by the way?"

Luthor withheld a puzzled look from his face at Slade's casual tone, but shook it off.

"Tony Zucco," he said reluctantly, glancing at the other man. "Italian mobster, mafia boss. Apparently sabotaged the Grayson's trapeze. Why so interested, Deathstroke?"

Slade shrugged again, and Lex regarded him suspiciously.

"There must be a reason for your sudden interest, Slade."

"Fine," Slade sighed, "You might consider letting the boy go after Zucco to cure him of his… hesitance to kill. The temptation to avenge his family might be enough to get him to kill _willingly_."

Luthor considered the idea for a second.

"But not yet!" Slade suddenly added. "As I've told the boy before, you hired me to _train_ him, not _traumatize_ him. He's messed up enough from today's events. And he's injured."

Lex let a slight smirk appear on his face.

"Your idea is a good one, Deathstroke. Fine, when he's ready I'll let him avenge his parents."

Slade nodded and turned, making for the door, but stopped suddenly and threw one last thing over his shoulder.

"I won't make him kill again for a while, Luthor, and neither should you. Today was a single step in his training to become your assassin, and a painful one at that. He needs time."

And with that, he left, leaving Lex to ponder the day's events.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Ok, admittedly this is really rough. I don't like this one, either, I feel like it's _worse _than last chapter- but then again, I'm never happy with my work… I don't have any time to go over this and fix everything, I'm sorry! There always seems to be someone OOC, and it's killing me! L Anyway, really not satisfied here, but I'm so desperate to update… sorry 'bout the wait. We're moving, you know how it is. I thought I'd have time to post after my trip, but we had to clean the house majorly and do everything else… it was terrible. So I'll have a little more access to a computer the next couple weeks, but no promises… Right then… Sorry this chapter isn't very good. Dick is almost 11 here.

Dick was summoned to Lex's office at about midday. He entered Luthor's office hesitantly and stood in front of the desk where Luthor sat. Mercy was standing at attention nearby.

The young assassin was silent for a while, waiting respectfully, as he had been taught, for Luthor to notice him. Deathstroke had been merciless that morning in training, and when he shifted awkwardly to avoid putting pressure on his bruised leg, the genius finally noticed him.

"Ah, Richard!" Luthor purred, shooting him a dangerously sweet smile. "Good to see you. Please, sit down."

Dick warily did as he was told, sitting in the seat offered.

There was silence for a moment, and then Lex began to speak.

"I have been very, very pleased in your progress recently, Richard."

Dick's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This hadn't been what he was expecting, but who was he to complain?

Luthor continued.

"In fact, I have been so impressed with the array of skills you have collected that I believe I can trust you with an important mission directly from me."

Dick narrowed his eyes, still not speaking, slightly worried now. What was this so-called mission? He really, _really_ didn't want to… you know… end someone again.

"Are you interested, Richard?" Lex questioned, and Dick met the genius' gaze steadily.

"Yes…" he remarked, trailing off at the end in hesitance. Luthor seemed to pick up on his worries.

"Ah, not to worry, my boy. A simple… collection, that's all this is."

Dick nodded, now very much interested. Since the contract with Slade and those two drug dealers, he hadn't really been out of Lexcorp's facilities. He was eager for some action, to put his newly learned skills to the test.

"Excellent. Tell me, boy, what do know about kryptonite?"

Dick thought for a second before speaking.

"From the destroyed planet Krypton, green, glows, and its Superman's only known weakness," he recited. _And one of your obsessions_, he thought, but of course he didn't say that out loud.

Luthor nodded.

"So, a basic knowledge, then. And that is all you need to know. However, there is a shipment of kryptonite in the Space museum in Gotham. I want you to get it, and bring it back to me."

"Steal it?" Dick burst out, and then quickly pasted an excited look onto his face. "Awesome!"

Lex gave him an odd look before his expression returned to smug-know-it-all-genius like normal.

"A helicopter will be waiting for you on the launch pad."

**_Line Break_**

The helicopter ride to Gotham was hauntingly similar to his previous mission to take down the drug dealers, and Dick shuddered the entire way there despite himself. He was relieved when he was dropped off on the top of a building and left to his own devices.

As he approached the museum, jumping from building to building with circus skills, he rubbed his ear uncomfortably. It wasn't like he missed Slade's communicator, but he was so use to the mercenary's advice that it was a bit odd to hear the silence.

He arrived on top of the building and smirked at the skylight.

_How cliché. Does every building in Gotham have a skylight? Or does the bat put them in specifically for his dramatic entrances?_

Suddenly Dick felt a stab of panic. He had completely forgotten about Batman. For a split second he considered abandoning his mission, but the punishment for that was sure to be horrendous and painful-

It wasn't worth it. Deathstroke's normal training was bad enough, but his punishments were even worse.

It only took a few seconds for him to hack in and deactivate the security systems with the hologlove Slade had given him for his birthday. He grinned as his nimble fingers skimmed over the keypad, happy to finally be testing out his skills. When Dick was certain the alarms were down, he opened the skylight quietly and slipped inside.

The museum was dark, and if Dick hadn't been trained by one of the most ruthless mercenaries in the world, he would have been thoroughly spooked. It didn't take long at all to locate the Kryptonite, since it was, in fact, glowing green in the darkness. He glided over to inspect the case.

It was a simple glass covering, without any sort of lead or metal supports. Dick bit his lip in slight confusion, the let a smirk slide onto his lips. Whether it was just pure luck that the Kryptonite was poorly guarded or stupidity on the guard's part, he was going to take it.

He pulled a small knife from his utility belt and carefully shimmied the top of the glass casing off, then set it aside. He needed both his hands for this next task. Reaching in cautiously and gripping the first green stone in his fist, he began placing the kryptonite into the lead sack slung over his shoulder. He was nearly finished with his task when he heard the skylight shatter, and almost jumped ten feet into the air, barely hanging on to the final stone.

Dick slowly rotated towards the dark figure he knew would be standing there and slipped the last stone into his belt quickly before Batman could see it. Then he took a deep breath, and began preparing himself for the battle to come.

**_Line Break_**

Batman would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised to see that the thief was a small boy who couldn't be more than twelve years old.

He had been watching the Space museum for weeks now. Really, you don't just advertise that you have kryptonite on display and _not_ expect someone to try and take it.

_Idiots._

He had observed from a distance as the figure (he hadn't been able to determine the size of the thief at first) slipped into museum through the skylight with stealth that would have made Catwomen proud. He waited a moment before following and came crashing through the skylight.

Fine, he would admit it, he was _very_ surprised to see the small child stuffing the kryptonite into a sack.

And he was in some sort of _vigilante_ costume, too.

"Who are you?" he growled as the child turned to face him, and the boy narrowed his eyes through his domino mask, seemingly debating whether or not to answer the question.

"Renegade," he finally answered, slinging the kryptonite sack over his shoulder and sliding another hand nonchalantly into his utility belt. Batman tensed.

"You don't want to do this, Renegade," Batman said in a low voice, testing out the boy's name, and was surprised when Renegade didn't back down at all.

"On the contrary," the little thief sighed, and Batman inwardly flinched at how young he sounded, "I don't really have a choice in the matter."

The words were spoken in such a soft tone that Batman was almost- _almost_! taken by surprise at the speed that the knives thrown at him next flew. Renegade moved in quick, steady motions, lobbing knife after knife at the Dark Knight and successfully clipping his cape at one point. Batman dove forward, attempting to take the boy by surprise, but Renegade did a back handspring to avoid him and fell into a fighting stance.

Batman narrowed his eyes as he fell into his own fighting stance. He hated to do this, but Renegade was now a threat, no matter how young he was. He was tempted to attempt some questions, but the thief flew at him before he could try.

He dodged Renegade's initial kick and punched outward, but Renegade was quick on his feet and dropped into a crouch, attempting a leg sweep. Batman leaped over the attack and charged forward, but Renegade bounded backwards in a stunning display of acrobatics.

They fought- more like danced, actually, since Renegade's style was far too graceful for it to be considered a true fight- across the museum floor. The boy was good… too good for it to be street fighting, or personal skill. He had been trained by _someone_.

This realization only served to make the Dark Knight angry. Who would dare corrupt a child like this, turn him into a criminal and a thief? What monster would strip a boy of his childhood to turn him into a… an assassin?

He towered over Renegade and fought harder, putting more strength into his blows in his anger without really noticing. The boy began to fall back under Batman's onslaught of blows, his acrobatics becoming considerably more desperate. He was good, but Batman was _Batman,_ and no one could beat _The Batman._

Renegade jumped up and stood on top of a display showing the moon hanging from the ceiling and reached into his belt again, this time bringing out a small handgun and squeezing off a round. His aim was excellent, and Batman made a silent vow to put whoever had done this to the child in a full body cast for at least six months. He wove around the bullets skillfully and jumped after him, and Renegade dove off, making a run for the door.

Batman sent a batarang at Renegade's legs, and it exploded on impact, lashing the young thief's legs together. He struggled for a moment before reaching for a knife to cut himself loose, and while he was occupied, Batman took the opportunity to grab him in a strong grip, restraining him and stripping off his utility belt. Renegade struggled and thrashed in his grip, but Batman refused to let go.

"Calm down," Batman growled, noting the ebony hair and olive-toned skin, but his growl turned into a grunt of pain when Renegade jabbed his knee into his gut. He snarled and pushed the much smaller boy to the ground and pried the sack full of kryptonite out of his hands, then snapped a pair of handcuffs onto Renegade's wrists.

"Who are you? Why are you stealing kryptonite?" Batman questioned, using his Batman voice, but Renegade didn't even flinch, turning away and refusing to answer. He pulled the boy off the floor roughly (though regretting it as he did so, as Renegade flinched in pain).

"Answer me," he hissed, and Renegade let out a small breath, keeping his mouth sealed shut.

Batman took a moment to further inspect the costume the thief had, and frowned at the tiny Lexcorp symbol he found on Renegade's shoulder. Suddenly he noticed the boy was doing something with his hands, but before he could move to see what the child was doing, there was a beeping noise, and smoke filled the room.

The Dark Knight dove forward in an attempt to stop Renegade from escaping, but his hands met empty air, and he was forced to admit defeat, covering his mouth and nose with his cape as he waited for the smoke to clear.

It took a few minutes, but once he could see again he moved forward to inspect the scene.

His handcuffs were lying on the ground, abandoned, and the rope and one of Renegade's knives was nearby. The boy's utility belt was gone, though, but Batman still had a firm grip on the kryptonite sack.

At this thought, he moved back to the glass case and began to place the dangerous stones back into their case, thinking as he did.

Renegade had the Lexcorp symbol on his uniform… Luthor always seemed to be behind these types of things. And the skill the boy had fought with, was, admittedly, very good. Luthor must have hired someone to train the boy. Why, though… and who was Renegade, really? Why did Lex Luthor need the kryptonite this time? He could feel it, a case was emerging…

_…six, seven, eight… _

He was one stone short.

Why that little…

A/N: Sorry, a couple more things. So to explain Dick here, he's worried about Slade/Lex punishing him if he tells Batman anything, and kinda scared of Batman at the same time. Remember, how he slipped one stone into his belt before Batman saw? Yeah, that's why Batsy is one short. and uh… Batman is hard for me to write for some reason… Let's say he slightly underestimates Dick because of his young age. Yeesh, I'll try to do better next chapter guys, sorry… This was a disaster, heavy on the _dis_…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Yay! I'm really, really pleased with this chapter for once! Guys, thank you so much for leaving such reassuring reviews, even though I didn't think the chapters were very good. It means a lot to me. Heh, so earlier today I was like, "Hey, what would the ship name for Lagoon Boy and Miss Martian be?" just out of curiosity, not that I would _ever_ ship them (Supermartian forever!)... And then my brother thought for a second, and then said very loudly, "Stupidity!" Ah, it was hilarious. So if I ever refer to "Stupidity", now you know what I'm talking about XD

Lex Luthor watched in silence as Richard placed a single block of kryptonite on his desk. He looked over the boy quickly and raised an eyebrow when he saw signs of a fierce fight- slight rips in his Renegade suit, an odd bruise or two over his skin- Ah. So the Dark Knight _had_ made an appearance.

He studied the nervous child critically and leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands together.

"What happened."

Richard licked his lips hesitantly before replying.

"I had the kryptonite, but Batman showed up and took it before I could get out. You're lucky I got away with at least one!" he snapped, suddenly on the defensive, and Lex felt a surge of anger.

"_I'm_ lucky? _I'm lucky_?" he snarled, straining to keep his voice calm. "You're lucky that you were able to get away with the tiny rock that you did, boy! Your punishment would be much worse had you not!"

Richard's face drained of all color and he lowered his beautiful blue eyes, cringing away at Luthor's verbal onslaught. Lex stood from his chair and began to pace, lowering his voice as he did so.

"I admit, it was impressive that you were able to get away with some of the kryptonite with Batman being there. But you will still receive punishment. You have failed me, and this is unacceptable."

Richard opened his mouth, an indignant look on his face.

"What! But that's not fair!" he whined, sounding exactly like the young eleven year old he was instead of a trained assassin. "Batman's probably been training for years! What chance do I have against him anyway? That isn't-"

_CRACK!_

The boy's head snapped to the side at Lex's backhand and he stumbled backwards, away from the enraged genius.

"I will have none of your whining or complaints, child! Accept your punishment and be silent!" Luthor raged, raising his arm to deliver another blow and then lowering it with effort. Richard looked up at him, hand on his cheek where a good-sized bruise was forming, and Luthor exhaled and sat down again.

"However, you're lucky this time. Your punishment will be postponed."

Richard looked like he had a question, but wisely restrained himself from speaking. Good, Lex thought, he would eventually learn to hold his tongue. He decided to answer the boy's unspoken question.

"Go cover up your bruise. We're going out."

**_Line Break_**

Dick stepped out of the limousine and was nearly blinded by the flashing cameras.

He really hated these.

Every so often, Luthor would allow him to go out in public- always supervised, of course; Deathstroke was normally disguised somewhere, and Mercy was always close by- with him, to keep up his image. The media new Dick existed, of course, but they also knew that Lex rarely allowed him to be out in public. Because of this, there was always a stir whenever Luthor brought Dick along.

Lex stepped out of the car behind him, prompting even more cameras to go off. He smiled and waved, ever the perfect businessman, and Dick shuddered, fighting the urge to bring his hand to his injured cheek. It was all an act, a well-played, perfect act, and he hated it.

Luthor placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him towards the door of Oliver Queen's mansion, waving the reporters away. He leaned over and whispered into Dick's ear.

"Smile, boy. You look like you want to kill every person here. You know, I could let you, if you really want to after this is all over. Now smile and laugh as if I said something amusing."

Dick restrained his flinch at Luthor's suggestion and obediently pasted on cocky grin, letting out a laugh that sounded just barely real enough to convince the reporters. Then they were through the doors.

Lex glanced down at him before leaving his side, heading directly for Mr. Queen, who was standing near the door greeting guests. Dick looked around, feeling very out of place with all the adults in the room, when he spotted another kid leaning against the doorframe across the room. He sighed and began to make his way over.

It seemed to take ages for him to get there (since he was waylaid by gangs of women all commenting on how "cute" and "well-mannered" he was) and stood next to the boy. He had short red hair and blue eyes, and wore a suit similar to the one Dick was in.

"Richard Grayson," he tried, extending his hand out to shake, and the other boy complied.

"Roy Harper," he said, and they shook. "You Luthor's ward?"

"Yeah", Dick replied, "You Queen's?"

Roy nodded again, and an awkward silence prevailed.

"…lame party, right?" Roy groaned out suddenly, and Dick grinned, looking at him.

"Isn't it your party?" he asked, and Roy laughed.

"Not hardly," he snickered, "If it was my party, it would be dark, I'd have eight foot speakers pumping rock and heavy metal into the room, lights set up on the ceiling, and-"he halted, glancing down at Dick with a mischievous look on his face. "I'm gonna stop before I say something I'd get grounded for…"

Dick snorted, drawing some odd looks from the gaggle of pompous rich ladies nearby, but both he and Roy ignored them.

"I don't think Lex would ever let me throw a party," he said, frowning. "And if he did, I don't know who I'd invite. It's not like I have very many friends since I'm homeschooled." A sudden thought hit him, and he smirked as he imagined Slade, Wintergreen, and Lex doing the disco on the dance floor.

Roy smirked.

"Ollie would never let me throw one. I'd just do it while he was out. And I'd come to your party, if it's cool enough."

Dick added Roy to his fictitious dance floor, but immediately squashed that idea when imaginary Slade stabbed imaginary Roy with a sword.

"Sounds good!" he chirped, shaking his head to go back to reality, then looked up at Roy hesitantly. "Does this make us friends now?"

"Sure," Roy said, shrugging. "You seem cool enough. How old are you?"

Dick lifted an eyebrow.

"Eleven."

Roy nodded.

"I'm sixteen. But age is just a number, eh? Plus, I like you. You're cute."

Dick put on a mock scowl.

"Hey, hey. I'm not cute."

"Sure you are."

"No I'm not! Use any other word to describe me… cool, fun, asterous, interesting, whelming, awesome… just not cute!"

Roy chuckled, then his expression turned to confused.

"Wait… asterous? Whelming?"

Dick shifted, slightly self-conscious.

"Well," he began to explain, "you know how there's overwhelming and underwhelming? I was wondering why nothing's just… whelmed, you know? And then if dislike is the opposite of like, wouldn't aster be the opposite of… disaster? I…" he trailed off and looked down at his feet sheepishly when Roy gave him a quizzical look. "It's just something I like to do… words…"

He jolted in surprise when Roy let out a booming laugh, startling the assassin-to-be.

"Sounds whelming, Richard… I like it."

"You can call me Dick," Dick declared, deciding to trust his new friend, and Roy gave him a funny look.

"Your nickname is Dick? Do you know how many bad jokes you're setting yourself up for?" Roy asked, and Dick grimaced.

"Yeah, but trust me. I've heard 'em all by now."

"Alright then, Dick."

Dick smiled, a real smile this time, but groaned when he spotted Lex making his way through the crowd towards them.

"I've got to go, Roy. Lex wants me- hopefully we can meet up again sometime?"

Roy nodded.

"Definitely. I think this is the first time in months that I've enjoyed one of these stupid charity things, and the last time it was because some old drunk knocked the punch bowl over and all the fancy ladies were slipping and falling all over the place."

Dick snickered before turning to meet Luthor.

"Come, Richard. We're done here."

He began to leave, Mercy right on his tail, and Dick paused to wave at Roy quickly before following, a sickening feeling entering his stomach. He had a punishment to fulfill…

**_Line Break_**

"What do you think, apprentice?" Deathstroke purred, prowling around him like a shark circling its prey. "You know we don't accept failure… not now, not ever."

Dick bit back a scathing reply, because it hadn't been a complete failure… he had at least gotten one of the kryptonite stones, and he had fought against _Batman_ and _lived_, for Pete's sake… But of course they didn't care. They would only stand for perfection.

Deathstroke shoved him to the ground, and Dick didn't fight him- the punishment would be even worse if he did. Sometimes he wondered why Lex let Slade handle the punishments- if he knew exactly what the mercenary did- but then he dismissed that though from his head. They wanted to make a point, and Luthor wasn't one to get his hands dirty.

"I think ten lashes is fine for the punishment, and we'll add five more for your little _outburst_ in Luthor's office, shall we?"

Dick sucked in a shaky breath as Deathstroke unfurled the whip that had been coiled up at his side and gave it an experimental flick, then glared down at him with his single eye.

"Shirt."

He didn't protest, or beg- that would only bring more lashes. He removed his shirt quietly and shifted into a more comfortable position, trying to brace himself for what was to come. He already had plenty whip marks across his back from mouthing off during training.

Slade pulled his arm back and Dick closed his eyes as the first stroke fell and fire erupted along his back. A droplet of blood dripped onto the floor.

He clenched his teeth at the second stroke, trying his hardest to withhold his cries, but at the third, he let out a groan.

Four, five, six…

The whip cracked across his back mercilessly, drawing a pained cry from his mouth. Slade paused for a split second before continuing.

Seven, eight, nine…

Blood dripped down his back and legs, creating a crimson puddle at his feet. He hunched down, barely able to stay on his knees, the temptation to crumple to the ground growing with every second.

Ten, eleven, twelve…

Dick's vision flickered for a second, blackness creeping into his sight, and he let out a hoarse scream. He slumped to the ground as Slade delivered the final three blows.

It took him a few minutes to gain the strength to raise his head, and the first thing he saw was Deathstroke standing over him. Automatically he flinched away from his tormentor, but Slade only reached out and picked him up, careful to not jostle his back too much as he carried him over to the medical table on the other side of the room.

"You know I don't enjoy punishing you like that, apprentice."

"Yeah right," Dick snapped, and a swift backhand to the face made him gasp and fresh pain to shoot down his back.

"Don't mouth off to me, boy. Especially after a punishment."

Slade began to work on his back while Dick bit his lip to hold back his groans. Deathstroke always confused him. Half of the time he was acting like a mentor and complimenting him, almost- _almost!_ seeming to care at some points, but the other half of the time the mercenary was beating him to the ground. He didn't know what to think anymore…

A hiss escaped his lips as Slade finished wrapping his wounds and gently helped him sit up.

"You will not fail Luthor again, apprentice."

Dick nodded mutely, and Deathstroke gestured for him to leave. Dick did so, slipping off the table and heading for his quarters, limping slightly.

He flopped on the bed, barely restraining his sobs, but then a sudden thought hit him.

Roy.

He actually had a _friend._

And, despite the pain, Dick smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: So, I was so excited about these next chapters that I couldn't resist posting another one… here you go! I don't own Young Justice

Star City was pleasant enough, Dick thought, but it would be much better _without_ the pesky archers currently on his tail.

Dick had been retreating back to Slade's rendezvous point after a successful heist from Star Labs when Green Arrow and his sidekick Speedy showed up. He secured the computer part further in his belt as he ran, and two arrows whizzed past his head, one exploding into green foam and the other letting out a torrent of flames.

Twisting and bringing his fire-proof cape around his small body, he leapt through the flames effortlessly and dove down an alley, cursing as the footsteps of the persistent archers sounded behind him. He spun around and sent several shruikens behind him and heard a yelp, signifying a hit.

Dick wall-jumped up to the top of the building and somersaulted to his feet, continuing to run across the rooftops. He glanced back behind him and didn't see any pursuers. He slowed down to a jog in relief.

As he trekked across the city, he was suddenly hit by a feeling of uneasiness. Something… wasn't… right… but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

A twang behind him confirmed his feelings and he jumped straight up, backflipping over the arrow that had been a split second away from making contact with his skin. Twisting as he landed, he found himself face-to-face with Speedy- literally. Both their faces showed an equal amount of shock at being in such close proximity with each other before Dick sent his fist towards the sidekick's face. Speedy blocked it with his bow, sending shockwaves through Dick's arm, and then they both jumped backwards to assess each other.

Dick stared into the eyeholes of Speedy's mask cautiously. Something about him was oddly familiar…

The older boy nocked an arrow and drew the bow, pointing it straight at Dick's chest.

"Give back whatever you stole!" he demanded in a fierce tone, and Dick smirked at him cockily before pulling the part out of his belt and tossing it casually into the air.

"Oh, you mean this thing?" he taunted, catching it without even looking. "I'm a little attached to it already, you _might_ have to take it from me."

He darted for the edge of the building and he heard Speedy swear behind him.

"Shameful, Slowpoke. Cussing in front of a child!" he shot over his shoulder, and a high-pitched zipping noise was the only warning he had before a barrage of arrows streaked towards him, along with another curse. He dove aside, rolling underneath the volley, and sent an explosive back at his opponent.

Speedy, to his surprise, skillfully dove around the fireball and came up on one knee with his bow loaded and released the arrow. Dick's eyes widened in surprise, and he was barely able to sidestep the bolt. Even with his reflexes, the arrow clipped his side, and droplets of blood splattered to the ground.

Dick took a second to inspect the shallow cut while Speedy carefully advanced.

"So, where's your babysitter, sidekick?" Dick smirked, and Speedy snarled, but didn't fire. Dick cocked his head. Why wasn't he…?

"Behind you!" a voice crowed from, you guessed it, _behind him_, and Dick whirled around to receive a green boxing arrow in the face. Stars erupted behind his eyes at the force of the hit, and he stumbled backwards as Green Arrow chuckled.

"That never gets old," the older superhero said, and Dick growled, straightening and letting loose his own volley of shruikens. The archers blocked most of them with their bows, but two managed to clip Speedy and one sliced the tip of Green Arrow's beard off.

Suddenly two arrows sped towards him and he tried to handspring aside, but his head was still spinning and he couldn't quite avoid the second one, which burst apart in a net and wrapped around his legs. He struggled and thrashed, but it was too tight.

Green Arrow approached him slowly.

"Alright, kid. Fun's over. Time to hand over what you-"

He didn't get any farther, assuming that since Dick's legs were tied, he was no longer a threat. Dick lashed out with his free hands in a double-handed blow, catching Green Arrow directly under his chin and effectively knocking him out.

"Ol- Green Arrow!" Speedy shouted, running to his mentor's side, and Dick used the distraction to cut himself free with the knife he kept hidden in his glove. He stood and glanced over, where Speedy was checking Green Arrow's vitals, and patted his belt to make sure that he still had the part Slade had requested. He did.

"Oh, you'll regret that," Speedy growled, and Dick shrugged, complying with the young archer and circling him on the rooftop.

"Only if you can catch me."

The sidekick fired several arrows and Dick effortlessly avoided them with his acrobatics.

"I know who you are," Speedy stated suddenly, and Dick fought down a surge of panic at his words.

"Oh?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow in a desperate attempt to keep his face neutral.

"Yeah. You're Renegade, that kid that keeps stealing all that stuff."

Dick snorted. What an accurate description.

"Yep. How'd you guess?"

Speedy didn't pick up on his sarcasm.

"Both Batman and Superman have said something about you before."

"Well. I'm flattered that they cared enough to mention me!" Dick said brightly, and ignored the scowl Speedy sent his way. "Look, I've got a deadline here," he said, tapping his wrist urgently, "so could we just skip the talking and the fight and pretend I won, 'cause I'm going to win anyway, so I can be on my way?"

Speedy looked shocked for a second, and then he blinked.

"I- wha… No!"

Dick sighed dramatically.

"Fine then."

He charged the sidekick and flung his knife ahead of him. The dagger connected with Speedy's bow and snapped the taught string, and Dick followed up with a savage kick delivered to his opponent's hand. The bow clattered out of Speedy's grasp, and Dick used the opening to send a second kick towards the red-head's stomach. To his surprise, the archer blocked it effectively with his hands and lashed out, connecting with Dick's chest and sending him reeling backwards.

Speedy charged forward this time, and they began a deadly hand-to-hand dance, striking and weaving, kicking and punching, leaping and dodging across the roof. Dick was, admittedly, impressed with Speedy's skill. Since archers preferred long range fighting to close range, he wasn't expecting the other boy to be this good at close combat.

Eh, he still wasn't good enough, though.

Dick somersaulted between Speedy's legs and came up behind him, kicking him directly in the small of his back. Speedy stumbled, and Dick used the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him. The sidekick crashed to the ground and Dick moved to punch his lights out, but Speedy rolled to avoid the punch and Dick's hand smashed into the concrete.

He hissed, pulling his hand back, and rotated to face the now-standing Speedy. Never mind that he _could_ crack concrete, it still hurt!

"Still so certain you'll win, Renegade?" Speedy asked cockily, smirking, and Dick had the sudden urge to smash his face in.

"Oh, I've been holding back," Dick said, taking a deep breath, and then they charged forward again. This time Dick didn't hesitate or hold back, using his circus skills to the maximum. He flipped and spun around the archer, landing hit after hit.

Suddenly he was struck with an idea and pretended to stumble as he attacked. Speedy leapt forward at Dick's fake, and it only took a split second to get behind him and cut the quiver off his back.

Speedy gasped and pulled away roughly, staring at Dick in horror as the young assassin began to sort through the multiple arrows.

It took him a second, but he finally grabbed the one he wanted.

"Want it back?" he teased, waving the chosen arrow at Speedy, and the archer growled and recklessly charged. Dick smirked and threw the arrow down at the sidekick's feet, then jumped away.

Red foam spurted out of the arrow and engulfed Speedy's body until only his head was free. The red-head struggled against it for a moment before it hardened completely and he was completely immobilized.

"Told you I'd win," Dick sighed, and Speedy growled, still trying fruitlessly to escape.

"You won't get away with this, you little thief!"

Dick scoffed.

"Please, I already have," he shot back, then let out a short laugh. "Oh gosh, we sound like those cliché movies."

Speedy didn't look amused.

"I'm serious, you-!"

"Whoa, hey. Let's keep the name calling to a minimum!" Dick said, grinning, but then a sudden realization struck him.

He knew why Speedy seemed so familiar.

He was exactly like Roy.

Glancing back at the struggling sidekick, he compared his features to Roy's.

It was a perfect match. The red hair, the large arms… as long as Speedy's eyes were blue…

Wait… wouldn't that make Green Arrow Oliver Queen?

He looked over to where the elder hero was still sprawled out on the roof, unconscious.

It was a perfect match! He didn't know anyone else who had a beard like that! A tremor ran through his body as he realized the enormousness of his newfound discover. With a few words or a single post on the internet, he could share the two archer's identities to the world.

But Roy…

He only had one friend as of now, and he was currently struggling helplessly in a pile of goo at Dick's own hand. He didn't want to lose his only friend…

It wasn't worth it.

"…negade? Hey, Renegade! Hey!"

He suddenly realized that Roy was calling his alter-ego name and glanced in his direction.

"What?" he growled, struggling to keep up his Renegade persona.

"You gonna gloat or kill us, or are you just going to stand there all day?"

"I don't kill," Dick said, and Roy looked at him skeptically.

"I don't!" Dick insisted, and then smirked. "But I will gloat. Ha! I beat you!" He did a crazy little dance just to make Roy annoyed, then walked to the edge of the roof and mock-saluted to the frozen hero.

"See 'ya!"

The he jumped off the edge of the building and made himself scarce.

**_Line Break_**

Slade waited in the helicopter for his apprentice to finish his job, and stood when Dick returned.

"Well?" he asked when the boy stood before him, and Dick silently handed over the computer part. Deathstroke inspected it for a moment before pocketing it and nodding in approval.

"Excellent work, apprentice," he purred, ruffling the boy's hair, and Dick gave him an odd look before carefully bringing his expression back to neutral. Slade withheld a chuckle. The boy was confused, good.

"Any… complications?" he asked, eying the small gash in Dick's side and the glob of hardened foam on his cape.

Dick narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing you didn't train me to handle," he said, and Deathstroke raised his single eyebrow at that answer. "Green Arrow and his sidekick showed up, but I took care of them."

Slade sighed.

"I suppose it's too much to hope for that you killed them."

Dick glowered up at him.

"No," he said, and Deathstroke shook his head.

"Very well. Despite your distractions, you managed to complete the mission. Good work."

Dick smiled at the praise.

"Pilot," Slade growled, "get us off the ground before I snap your neck."

The terrified man, too scared to speak, shakily manned the controls of the copter, and the Master and Apprentice rose into the air on their way back to Lexcorp.


	8. Chapter 8

They could always tell when _that date_ was approaching.

And by _that date_, they meant the date of his parent's death.

At first it would be subtle things, like the boy staring absently off into space for a long period of time, or missing a target by a hair's breadth during training (which never happened anymore…).

But as the day grew nearer Dick's emotions would far too often get the best of him, and they would find him curled up in odd places, shaking and in tears. Orders would fall on deaf ears, and hitting the target would become an impossible task.

Slade preferred to keep punishments to a minimum during this time. Luthor disagreed, but Slade would simply reply to his demands with his favorite line: "My job is to train him, not traumatize him." But even he grew weary of the little assassin's sad and broken attitude as the days dragged by.

Naturally, this was the perfect time for them to reveal Tony Zucco to the child.

**_Line Break_**

Today was _the _day.

The day he lost everything- his happiness, his family, heck, even his freedom disappeared at the hands of a bald genius today!

Dick was curled up on his bed in his room, hidden beneath a pile of blankets. It was nearly noon- not that he cared, but he was dimly aware of the odd fact that he hadn't been called out his room by an angry Deathstroke or a manipulative Luthor. For an odd moment he wondered if they would take pity on him today and not make him train or steal anything, but then he dismissed the thought from his head. Deathstroke the Terminator pitied no one, and neither did Lex Luthor.

Silent tears streamed down his cheeks, and he shook with the strain of holding in his sobs.

"_Ladies and Gentleman, the Flying Graysons!"_

If only there had been something he could have done-

_"__Are you ready to fly, my little robin?"_

He would have willingly died with them if he had known that today would cause him so much pain-

_"__CRACK!"_

_ "__NO!"_

If only someone had listened to him-

_"__I'm telling you, it wasn't an accident! They were murdered! Dad always checked the cables before we went on, and there was this strange man earlier who-"_

_ "__Yeah, yeah, kid. We'll take it into consideration. Thank you, and I'm sorry for your loss."_

Sorry for his loss… yeah right. They didn't care. No one did, really, except maybe Roy since they were friends, but he didn't know what it was like to lose everything. His adopted father was nice enough, didn't beat him every time he slipped up, gave him freedoms, and let him roam the streets as a vigilante, saving people and working for justice!

Dick choked back more sobs, trying to keep quiet. If Slade was to hear him right now…

He shifted into a more comfortable position and clutched at the blankets, squeezing his eyes shut. Not for the first time he wished he still had his stuffed elephant Zitka, but Deathstroke had taken her away years ago. The sheets beneath his head were wet, but he didn't care anymore… he didn't care about anything anymore…

"Having some trouble, apprentice?"

Dick shot up from his cocoon of blankets in terror and came face-to-face with Slade. His eyes widened as the mercenary eyed him critically. Hurriedly he wiped at his face at a futile attempt to erase the evidence of his tears, but it was too late…

However, Deathstroke didn't drag him from the bed to be punished, nor did he yell at him to get up and begin training. Instead, he leaned back almost casually against the wall and said two words.

"Tony Zucco-"

It took Dick a second to comprehend the name, and he blinked to force back tears. Slade wanted to give him a mission, today of all days? Did he _want _him to get killed? He couldn't even lift a sword right now, much less go against his moral code and 'freakin _kill someone!_

He was so caught up in his own misery that he almost missed Slade's next words.

"-murdered your parents."

Then the world seemed to spin around him unrealistically, and he felt his jaw fall open in surprise, because out of all the things Deathstroke could have said right there, this was the one he never in a million years would have expected.

"Well?" Slade said, and suddenly Dick felt a surge of adrenaline and anger. He rose from his bed and crossed the room to his closet where his Renegade suit was stored while Deathstroke watched.

"You gonna stop me?" he challenged when Slade straightened from where he had been leaning up against the wall, which probably wasn't the smartest idea since the huge man could probably beat him to the ground in three seconds flat if he wanted too, but Deathstroke only looked at him with his single eye in an expression that seemed to show amusement. Dick, however, ignored it.

He had found the reason for all of his pain.

And he was quite willing to share that pain with his new target.

Tony Zucco.

**_Line Break_**

A quick dive into Luthor's supposedly secure mainframe was all it had taken for him to find all the information on Tony Zucco that he needed. The information had been right there in the open, almost like someone had wanted it to be found, but Dick didn't even care at this point. He was being driven by his anger and pain.

Tony Zucco.

The name seemed to echo through his head like a curse.

Tony Zucco.

He had debated bringing his sniper rifle with him, but decided against it and brought his katana instead.

Tony Zucco.

Crime Alley, Gotham was one of the most dangerous places in the city, but a perfect place for an Italian Mob Boss to hang out. Dick, or Renegade right now, found Zucco's base of operations right off the street in a warehouse.

Oh, how he loved clichés.

He didn't even bother with being discreet about it. He walked straight into the hideout with his sword drawn and a glare on his face with enough force to rival Batman's. Thugs tried to stop him on the left and right, shouting in surprise, but they were absolutely no match for his blade.

Tony Zucco.

One man stepped up with a crowbar, swinging it downward, and Dick blocked it with his sword, not even feeling the shockwave that rippled down his arm at the impact. He slashed forward before the man could recover and felt his sword rip through flesh.

Tony Zucco.

Another ran forward with a glass bottle in his hand and Dick leaped above the crowd of the goons to land feet first on his face. There was a crack and the man crumpled to the ground with a howl, clutching at a definitely broken nose. Dick had no time for mercy right now.

Tony Zucco.

By now the thugs were screaming in terror, scrambling to escape his wrath, but a red tinge settled in over his vision and he knew nothing but anger, pain, the swinging of his sword and pleas for mercy that were all ignored. A few more courageous men pulled out sleek silver pistols, and he easily blocked the bullets with his blade before effortlessly taking them out.

It wasn't long before only one man was left conscious, and he tried to crawl away at first, babbling incomprehensibly as Dick hoisted him up by his shirt.

"Where's Zucco?" Dick snarled violently, shaking the guy for good measure, and the terrified man pointed a shaking hand towards a staircase to their left. Dick narrowed his eyes and slammed his head into the wall, knocking him out.

Tony Zucco.

He didn't glance back at the bloodied room as he ran for the stairs. He didn't even care if he'd killed any of them at this point. He was so close. So… so… close…

He kicked down a door and saw someone whip around a corner. Without hesitation he followed, holding his red-stained katana at the ready as he ran.

Tony Zucco.

The chase led Dick up a seemingly endless staircase and up to the roof. The second he burst through the door, gunfire erupted around him, and he rolled to avoid the majority of them and blocked the rest expertly with his sword. A couple clipped his cape and ripped holes through the fabric.

There. Right in front of him.

Tony Zucco.

The mobster was standing at the edge of the roof, two smoking SMG's in hand. A look of absolute terror on his face. If Dick's vision had been tinged with red before, now it was completely red- blood red.

"Who are you?" he screamed out as Dick approached, and he almost stabbed him right then and there. Instead he grinned darkly.

"What, you don't remember, Zucco?" he growled, leveling the sword at his target's throat. "Well, you better start trying harder to remember before I lose my patience." He pressed the sword a little harder against Zucco's throat and used his other hand to tear off his Renegade mask.

It took a moment, but finally Dick saw recognition in the mobster's eyes, as well as a fresh wave of fear.

"You," Zucco breathed, "You're that little circus brat. Grayson."

"That's right," Dick snarled. "And I'm here to avenge my parents."

He took a deep breath to steel himself and moved to kill the cause of his grief for three years now, but before he could, the man made a frantic dive backward, forgetting he was at the edge of a skyscraper.

Dick watched as he fell.

When he was certain of Zucco's fate he turned from the edge and moved back towards the staircase, but the redness in front of his eyes faded and suddenly he couldn't hold himself up. The katana skittered out of his hands and he crumpled to his knees.

What had he just done? He was so confused, so sad, so disorientated. What…

He had just avenged his parents.

He had just killed Zucco.

And at this thought, Dick began to cry.

Slade found him at the top of Zucco's base on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks, a bloody sword resting at his feet.

Deathstroke smiled in satisfaction behind his mask.

**_Line Break_**

Slade stood in the middle of Lex's office, a pleased look in his single eye. Luthor sighed dramatically and stood, giving the mercenary an approving look.

"Very well, I admit that your idea was a good one. But if I may, Deathstroke, what exactly happened?"

Slade typed a few commands into the control panel on his wrist and a hologram popped up, security camera footage from the day before. They both silently watched as Renegade boldly walked into the thug infested hideout and began attacking without mercy. Lex winced at few of the hits, but Slade only watched with steely eyes.

They saw Dick charge up the long staircase after Zucco, and Deathstroke nodded in approval as the boy skillfully deflected every bullet fired from Zucco's SMGs. Then there came the part they had both been waiting to see. Together they witnessed Dick's attempt to kill his parent's murderer, and Zucco's essential suicide as he dove off the building to avoid the blade.

The footage ended with Richard collapsing on the ground.

Luthor narrowed his eyes and turned to his hired trainer.

"He didn't kill Zucco."

"But he caused it. And he didn't save him either," Deathstroke pointed out, and Lex nodded mutely.

"How many of the grunts did he kill?" he asked, and Slade shrugged.

"I'd say about seven of them, eight if you count Zucco. I wasn't keeping count."

Luthor blinked, surprised at the boy's ferocity.

"Is he still having a mental breakdown in his room?" Deathstroke questioned, and Luthor nodded.

"But the more important question is, will he kill again?"

Slade smirked.

"The boy has killed ten people now. I believe he can be manipulated to a much greater extent."

"Meaning…?"

"...Yes."

A/N: Oh boy. This… I don't even know what to say about this. I can't decide if I like it or not, so I'm not even going to think about it. Sorry, I meant to post yesterday but I was interrupted before I could finish the chapter. Okay, so a lot of people have been begging for me to have the justice league find little Dicky already and rescue him from Luthor and Slade… Guess what I say to you? **_Where's the fun in that?_****MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** But I will put your concerns at ease and tell you that he _will_ be rescued eventually. Don't worry, I'm not _that _mean! :P Thanks for your support guys! I appreciate it! Next chapter Dick gets a very important mission… to assassinate Bruce Wayne!


	9. Chapter 9

Bruce Wayne.

That was the name of his next target.

Not that he cared about that. All Dick needed to know was a place and time, and the target would be dead by the next day.

Wayne would be the seventeenth person he'd killed. He was a threat to Luthor's organization, so he had to go. Anyone who threatened either one of his masters was a dead man- if not by his hand then by Slade's himself.

Footsteps approached his room, and Dick sat up almost lazily from the bed he had been lying on as Deathstroke entered the room, looking at him from half-closed eyes.

"Renegade," Slade said, "Ready to go?"

Dick nodded, stood, and grabbed his sniper rifle from where it had been leaning against the wall. He had a job to do.

**_Line Break_**

His target was throwing a charity ball for some children's organization. If he hadn't been sent to kill this man he might've felt appreciative to the man for being so generous- oh well. It wasn't like there _wasn't_ other billionaire playboys in the world attempting to make themselves look better by donating money to the poor.

Dick was standing on the top of Wayne's mansion looking in on the extravagant party from the skylight (seriously, did every building in Gotham have one? Honestly, though- so cliché), scanning the crowd for a sight of the target. The police commissioner was standing near the door by a pretty red-head girl who looked just a little older than him- he let his eyes linger on her for a second before turning his attention back to the people.

Oliver Queen and Roy Harper were both there as well, and he forced himself to not think about them at all-

_What would Roy say if he saw you like this?_

_Shut up, self-conscious!_

Dick shook his head and banged on his forehead a couple times to clear it. He had his assignment, there was no reason to think about anything else right now.

There was a click in his ear, and then he heard Slade's voice come out of the communicator.

"Everything going as planned, apprentice?" he drawled, and Dick narrowed his eyes at the tone.

"Yes," he said, and suddenly Deathstroke growled.

"Yes _what_?" he snarled, and Dick winced.

"Yes, master," he hurriedly corrected. It was difficult get use to the new title Deathstroke insisted on, but it definitely wasn't worth a punishment to not use the name.

"Good," Slade purred sickeningly, "Get the job done, apprentice. I'll be waiting at the rendezvous point. Deathstroke out." There was a click, and then he was gone.

Dick sighed, shoulders slumping. Ever since he had begun fulfilling contracts, Slade had become a thousand times harsher, and he didn't have the faintest idea why.

A sudden commotion below made him glance down and smirk. Bruce Wayne had finally made an appearance. He was in a nice suit, flanked by two police men as a kind of body guards, no doubt insisted on by Commissioner Gordon. The target smiled and began to mingle with some of the guests.

Dick brought his sniper rifle up and took aim, putting the scope directly on Bruce Wayne's head.

One more successful mission, he thought, and moved to pull the trigger.

There was absolutely no way he'd miss.

**_Line Break_**

Very few things could surprise Bruce Wayne.

He was Batman, for Pete's sake! He dealt with insanity every night!

However… Some random partygoer stepping in front and unintentionally taking a bullet for him did surprise him, as well as the small shadow that leaped through the skylight, accompanied by shattered glass. It landed on the floor just in front of him, and he finally got a good look at it.

_Renegade._

Bruce took a nervous step backwards as the child unsheathed a slim katana from his back and advanced towards him, unfazed by the shocked crowd. A spit second later, a scream went up, and chaos reigned.

Bruce stared at the approaching assassin, his mind beginning to whirl. He hadn't taken Renegade to be of the killing type when he had caught him stealing kryptonite, but recently he had been busy creating a large list of assassinations, probably at Luthor's promptings. And for him to show up here, with his gaze set on him so intensely, probably meant…

…Bruce Wayne was his next target.

Bruce cursed under his breath and dove backwards as Renegade slashed forward, barely missing his nose. The boy had an angry look on his face, although whether it was from his own failure to shoot Bruce or the man who had stepped in front of the bullet, Bruce didn't know.

Gunfire sounded, prompting more screaming and running from startled guests, and Renegade rolled aside as gunfire narrowly missed his tiny body. Bruce turned and saw the commissioner and several other police men standing by the wall with their weapons drawn.

Suddenly he was being pushed and shoved out the door by his own "guards" while Renegade was distracted. The last thing Bruce saw before he was hastily and roughly shoved around the corner was Renegade advancing on the brave men, lazily deflecting the bullets with his sword. Then the door closed and he could see no more.

They hustled down corridor after corridor through Bruce's mansion, and he sent a longing glance at the old grandfather clock as they passed, wishing that he could ditch the men and confront Renegade properly. Instead they brought him to a room and shoved him inside.

"You'll be safe here, Mr. Wayne," one of them panted, drawing his weapon, and the other followed suit before slamming the door in Bruce's face.

He sighed and sat down in the small chair in the back of the room, and waited.

It wasn't long before he heard a commotion outside- gunshots, and the clang of metal on metal.

Bruce's Batman senses took over, and he cautiously cracked open the door, peeking out just in time to see Renegade slit the throat of the second guard.

He didn't flinch, nor did he look away, as he had seen much worse things out on patrol, but inwardly he gasped at the emotionless expression the boy had on his face. It wasn't… right for a child to be doing this. Luthor would pay… as soon as Batman found a way to expose him.

Renegade turned fully towards him now, eying him with a masked gaze and raising his bloodied sword.

Bruce was suddenly struck with apprehension. He couldn't fight here, now, not like this! He would have to be extremely careful, and oh, _not die_ too.

Renegade charged him, swinging the sword in a wide arc with a double handed blow that would have cleaved him in half had he not sidestepped. Several more times the assassin tried to stab him, and Bruce moved just enough to _not_ be killed, even letting the blade clip him a few times- on his upper arm, lower leg, his side.

Renegade growled at him angrily.

"Why… won't… you… die?" he hissed, and Bruce spoke, faking the shakiness and barely contained fear.

"Y-you don't just become a billionaire playboy by not taking precautions. I've taken self-defense classes for years!" Bruce stuttered out, and Renegade bared his teeth at him almost savagely and charged again. This time Bruce skipped backwards out into the large corridor, and the boy followed.

"You don't get this good at avoiding a sword from defense classes," Renegade growled, and Bruce's heart skipped a beat. The assassin was suspicious… that wasn't good…

Before anything else was said, there was sounds of multiple footsteps and clinking of metal, and from around the corner came a bruised Commissioner Gordon and a squad of policemen. They opened fire the second they had Renegade in their sights. The boy dove away, attempting to deflect the bullets with his sword, but there were too many this time and he let out a cry of pain as a bullet sunk into his right calf.

Bruce wanted to scream. The boy couldn't have been more than eleven! He was too young for this! Too young to be an assassin, too young to be killing, too young to be shot! Suddenly Renegade made a leap for the window and broke through it, rolling on impact with the ground. He took off running, cape flapping in the wind behind him.

Gunfire followed the boy as the police didn't let up their barrage, and Bruce grit his teeth when he saw Renegade stagger as if hit, but he continued to run until he was swallowed up in the night.

Finally the guns were silent, and the police relaxed. Commissioner Gordon came straight for him.

"Bruce, are you alright?" he asked, and Bruce let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in.

"Yes," he answered, although the several cuts he had gotten did sting. "But Jim… did you see…"

The commissioner nodded.

"Yes, I did," he said, "and trust me Bruce, we'll do everything we can to bring whoever's responsible for this to justice.

That hadn't been what Bruce meant, but he nodded and turned away.

Someone needed to help this child before he was driven mad.

And if no one else would, he would take it upon himself.

**_Line Break_**

Dick staggered towards the helicopter, limping and holding his side where the second bullet had hit him while he was running. Dread settled over him, and he flinched when he saw Slade's criticizing single eye peering at him, inspecting the bullet wounds.

"You failed."

It wasn't a question.

Dick didn't even have to nod. He slumped as Deathstroke bandaged his side and leg on the way back, then followed him back inside Lexcorp slowly.

He had barely stepped into the training room when a savage backhand connected with his jaw. He staggered backwards, but Slade kept advancing, nearly shaking in fury.

"What did I tell you about failures, apprentice?" Deathstroke growled, kicking out and connecting with Dick's chest, knocking him back on the floor. Dick opened his mouth to answer, but only a pained cry came out when Slade's foot slammed onto his injured leg, sending waves of pain up his body.

"I thought I had trained you better, Richard," the mercenary taunted, leaping forward, and Dick rolled to his feet to avoid another blow.

"Accept your punishment, brat!" Slade hissed, charging and bodily throwing Dick down onto the floor again. The young assassin yelped as he hit the ground.

"But… wait… Slade!" he cried, but Deathstroke was having none of it. A fist shot out and connected with his eye, and he was flung backwards, skidding across the floor.

"I don't want your excuses, boy!" Slade growled, "You were given simple orders. Kill Bruce Wayne. Was that too much to ask for?" His voice lowered dangerously. "And what are you supposed to call me?"

Dick winced at his mistake.

"Ma-"another kick went into his side, and he shouted in pain. "-ster! Sorry, master! I-"

Deathstroke's hand pressed down on his side wound violently, and Dick couldn't hold back a scream of pain this time.

"Wait! Please!" he yelled desperately. "There was something different about this Wayne guy, really! He was avoiding my sword like he had been training intensely for years, it was like I could barely touch him even when I did! Please- argh!"

"What did I tell you?" Slade said softly, lifting his hand from the wound, and that sent more shivers of fear up Dick's back than the growling did. "No excuses. Luthor will not be pleased… and _I_ am not pleased either, apprentice."

"Yeah, I can tell," Dick muttered thickly through the haze of pain, slightly out of it, and Slade grabbed him by the front of his shirt and lifted him into the air.

"Don't sass me, boy!"

He effortlessly threw the smaller boy to the side, and Dick slammed into the wall, stars flashing before his eyes, before sliding down to the ground. Blood was dripping from his bullet wounds despite the gauze around them.

"Go to the infirmary," Deathstroke barked, pointing down the hallway. "And when you're patched up more firmly… we have a punishment to finish." And with that, he strode out.

Dick sat up slowly and groaned as pain shot through his nervous system. He _knew_ he was right, something _was_ different about Bruce Wayne, even though Slade didn't believe him…

Bruce Wayne was hiding something.

And he was determined to find out.

A/N: Dick is 12 here. I was really excited for this one, this was one of the first scenes I wrote out, along with the Superman one earlier. Hope it met your expectations! I'm not going to write out the rest of his punishment in the next chapter, I'll leave that up to your wonderful imaginations… he's not actually going to figure out what Bruce's secret is until he meets the team, so too bad if you wanted him too… I actually got this great idea for a couple more chapters, so it will be a few more before he meets the team (Sorry! I know you want it!), but not to worry! I'm doing my best at updating, so I'll try to get them done soon. Thank you for those amazing reviews guys, some of them really make my day!


	10. Chapter 10

Dick took a deep breath before walking into the little coffee shop.

It was later in the evening, maybe 7 or 7:30… he didn't have a watch on him currently. Earlier Roy had invited him to come hang out at this little shop. Dick was glad it wasn't something extravagant… it was tedious avoiding the press, even if he was a master assassin. Even as it was, he was wearing sunglasses and a hoodie.

There was another reason for that, though. This particular coffee shop was a common hangout place of a man named Anthony Jones, who also happened to be his next target, and he couldn't be recognized as Dick Grayson while killing someone.

It was pure coincidence, but he was happy about it. He got to hang out with Roy without getting in trouble from his masters.

Glancing around the homey little shop, he spotted Roy at one of the back tables waving him over, also in shades and a slightly ghetto outfit. Someone else was sitting next to him, another red-head with green eyes and enough freckles to compete with the stars in the night sky. Cautiously he slid into the booth next to Roy, eyeing the newcomer warily.

"Hey, Dick!" Roy greeted cheerily, shifting over slightly so Dick could have more room, "what took you?"

Dick hid a smirk. The real answer to that was that he had been stashing his sniper rifle and katana in a nearby alley, but of course there was no way he would tell _Speedy_ that.

"Sorry," he said. "Got held up by Lex, you know how it is." It was easy for him to pretend everything was alright, to act like nothing was wrong with his life, like he wasn't a killer. Surprisingly easy.

Roy nodded, amusement crinkling in his eyes.

"Yeah, I get it," he reassured, shrugging to show no harm done. "Anyway, this," he gestured to the other redhead, "is one of my other friends, Wally West. Hope it's not too much trouble that he came along."

"Nah, it's cool," Dick replied. "The more the merrier, I guess."

"Asterous."

Dick laughed, pleased that Roy used _his_ word while Wally looked extremely confused.

"Anyway, nice to meet you, Wally. Where you from?" He extended his hand and Wally shook it, confusion melting away to show warmth in his gaze.

"Central," he answered, leaning back contentedly in his seat. "I'm just visiting Star."

"Oh, nice," Dick grinned. "I'm actually from Metropolis. I only come to Star when Roy invites me."

"Whoa," Wally whispered reverently, with a slight smirk on his face. "Metropolis. Have you ever met Superman?"

Roy shot him an amused glance that Dick didn't think he was really supposed to see, but he answered the question anyway with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," he said, recalling a previous encounter, "but only a glimpse of him. Never seen him up close besides the news reports Lois Lane does." Now _that _was a flat out lie… he wondered if Speedy had ever met Superman. He _was_ only a sidekick, but still… who knew.

Roy barked out a short laugh.

"Have either of you noticed that Superman only does private interview with that Lois chick? I'd say something's going on with them… And really! Who needs saving so much? I swear that girl sets up half her incidents so that her knight in shining armor can could and rescue her!"

Dick and Wally snorted at the same time then froze, staring at each other for a moment before erupting into completely immature giggles. When Roy snorted as well at their antics, they only laughed harder.

Eventually a waitress came over to their table, interrupting their arguments over zombies and vampires ("Dude, I would totally rather fight zombies! They're super slow, and really stupid!" "But there's only a few vampires. You'd only have to take out a couple, too many zombies would overwhelm you!" "But what if there's a whole army of vampires?" "Please, what are the odds of _that _happening?").

"Hmm? Oh, sorry." Roy apologized to the exasperated women once he noticed her. "Uh, guys, you want to order? I'll have a hot chocolate. It's cold outside."

Dick glanced at him, licking his lips.

"That sounds totally whelming, actually. I'll have the same."

Wally glanced at Roy for a second.

"Okay, I'll have seven…"

He trailed off at Roy's vicious glare.

"Six?"

"…"

"Five…?"

"…"

"Three…? Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaase Roy! Please?"

Roy grunted, and Wally grinned happily.

"Right, three hot chocolates as well!"

Dick stared at Wally in amazement.

"Could you really have eaten _seven _hot chocolates?" he asked, and Wally started to reply but was cut off as Roy answered for him.

"Nope," the oldest of them declared, cocking an eyebrow at Wally's annoyed look. "His eyes are just a lot bigger than his stomach."

"I'll say…"

Wally chuckled nervously, rubbing his stomach as it, right on time, grumbled very loudly. They got back to their argument, this time with the age old enemies, ninjas and pirates.

"I'm sorry, but ninjas would totally win. They can just sneak up on the pirates, slit their throats, and be off without anyone noticing."

"Except the pirates…"

"But they're all dead!"

"Okay, but pirates have ships! Unless your ninjas have a super-secret ninja ship to use against my pirate ship, then you've got nothing on them, Dick!"

"Wally, ninjas don't need super-secret ninja ships. They're just that good."

"But hey you two, the pirates get all the gold and stuff. The ninjas just kill people."

"Roy! I thought you were on my side! And ninjas get paid… sometimes…"

"Ha! In your face!"

"…But then on the other hand, ninjas do get cooler suits… I'd rather be in all black with a face mask than in a stupid hat with a wooden leg."

"Ha! In _your _face!"

"Hey! Whose side are you on anyway?"

Dick glanced around the little shop out of habit for a second, letting Roy and Wally argue and almost jumping from shock when he spotted his target, Anthony Jones, sitting in a booth right across from them. He cursed himself for getting distracted and nearly forgetting his mission.

"Hey Dick? You okay?"

He turned to see both Wally and Roy looking at him curiously. He hastily cleared his throat.

"Sorry, got lost in thought for a second." He turned his attention back to the new conversation, keeping a careful eye on Jones, who had just ordered a coffee of some sort.

Their own drinks came shortly after, and true to his word Wally slurped up the first hot chocolate in record time, nearly squealing when the steaming hot drink burned his tongue. He sent a wounded look at the empty mug, as if it was its fault he got burned.

Roy grinned at the pouting boy as he carefully mixed the whipped cream on the top of the mug into the liquid. Dick took a careful sip, not in any mood to be burned himself. In the few seconds of silence that followed as everyone tested their drinks, Dick heard something that made him freeze.

"…yet another death. Millionaire Brad Tennyson was found dead in his private home yesterday morning. There were no witnesses, but the police believe that the young assassin Renegade is behind the murder…"

He turned and looked at the small flat screen over by the front counter, as a hazy picture of himself in his Renegade suit appeared, apparently taken from long distance and zoomed in. There was silence for a second.

"…geez…" Wally murmured, casting his eyes downward. "That's like, the fifth guy this month!"

Roy's face was dark, as if he was remembering something painful, and Dick knew he was remembering their previous encounter.

"Yeah…" he muttered, trying to get them to lose interest in the topic, but luck wasn't with him tonight.

"I can't believe that guy," Roy sighed, shifting in his seat. "He can't be any older than ten!"

Dick was insulted, because really, he didn't look _that _young! He was 12!

Okay, maybe he _did_ look that young…

"Really, though, why would he kill all those people? Is he working for someone or does he have his own personal hit list?"

He _really_ needed to change the topic.

"Hey, do you guys think-"

Wally interrupted.

"Yeah, what's his deal, anyway? And why haven't the League shut him down yet?"

_They tried, and failed_, Dick thought triumphantly, remembering his encounters with Superman, Batman, and the Arrows. Roy growled deep in his throat as if he was remembering the exact same thing.

"Don't know," Roy forced out, and he gave Wally a look that seemed to say _we'll talk about this later. _Dick narrowed his eyes at them. Something was up… was Wally in the hero business, too?

"Maybe Renegade's just misunderstood," he tried, and Roy scoffed.

"So he's killing people because he's… trying to get attention?"

"No!" Dick retorted quickly. "That isn't what I meant. But-"

"Maybe he's doing it to survive?" Wally questioned, cocking an eyebrow, and Dick's head shot up, because he was technically right. But now that he thought about it…

Why _did_ he kill?

Why did he follow Luthor and Slade's instructions?

Heck, why was he even still with them?

_Because they're your masters_, _and they know what's good for you,_ a small voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Deathstroke hissed, and Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, because the voice was right, Slade was right, but…

Why did it still feel like it was wrong?

Suddenly he glanced up and saw that his target was moving.

Anthony Jones was standing up, setting the empty coffee cup on the ground, digging in his pocket for change to pay.

Dick stood from his seat and slid out, ignoring the curious looks the other two (dare he call them friends?) were giving him.

"Sorry guys," he said, stretching dramatically and placing a fifty dollar bill on the table, "I gotta go, I didn't realize what time it was."

Wally and Roy nodded in understanding.

"See you around, Dick."

"Bye dude! Hope we can hang out again sometime soon!"

Dick grinned and turned, but as he does, he "accidentally" moved his arm down and knocked Wally's final mug of hot chocolate off the table.

What happened next was so fast that he barely even saw it (if he didn't have assassin's eyes he wouldn't have), but Wally's arm flew down at an impossible speed, and suddenly he was holding the mug inches away from the floor, where it surely would have shattered.

Roy and Wally were both staring at him in horror like they'd just condemned themselves to death, but Dick simple pasted a surprised look on his face before grinning once more.

"Whoa… nice catch, Wally," he laughed, pretending he hadn't see anything out of the ordinary (since when had his life become one big pretense?), and then he turned for real, sending a "see 'ya later" over his shoulder and following Jones out the door. His suspicions were confirmed. Wally was a meta, probably a speedster or a manipulator of time based on the speed he moved with.

It only took him a second to slip off his clothes to reveal the Renegade suit underneath, and then retrieve his weapons and belt from the alley. Jones was moving fast, since word that enemies of Luthor were being targeted had gotten out and Anthony Jones was _definitely_ one of Lex's enemies. Apparently he'd been attempting to lay low and be safe.

He wasn't not fast enough.

Not by a long shot.

In fact, it barely took Dick ten seconds to find him running down yet another alleyway once he'd climbed to the top of a building, with all the noise he was making. He leaped down from the roof he was perched on with practiced ease and landed perfectly on the small of the man's back.

Jones slammed into the ground hard and Dick did a handspring off just before impact, rolling to his feet and drawing his sword in the same motion.

Anthony scrambled backwards as he approached.

"Wha… no- wait! Renegade…" he gasped out, his expression one of pure terror as he realized who his attacker was.

Dick bared his teeth in a savage smile.

"Wait, I'm no threat to Luthor! Please, don't hurt me!" he pleaded, but Dick moved forward and silenced him before he could become annoying.

He moved a hand to his ear and tapped his communicator.

"Deathstroke here," Slade answered, "What is your status, Renegade?"

Dick took a deep breath.

"Master. The target has been neutralized. No complications."

He could almost _hear_ Slade's pleased expression.

"Excellent work, Renegade," the mercenary purred, and Dick shuddered at the tone. "I am very pleased with your work today. Return to Lexcorp immediately."

"Of course," Dick said, dropping his hand from the communicator and sheathing his sword before turning to follow his orders. But even as he did so, the conversation from earlier seemed to echo in his mind, leaving his unanswered question:

Why _did_ he kill? Why _did_ he follow orders?

What was the answer?

A/N: Oh boy. I love Roy and Wally so much… this chapter was such a last minute idea, so sorry if it's a little rough, I didn't really have a plan for this one, I just kind of… did it. I actually got the idea from Candy3314 for Dick to be kinda rebellious and get different views and what not, hope this fits what you were thinking of, so thank you so much for that! I considered not killing this jones guy, but I think Renegade has been punished enough the past few chapters… he is spared this time! You guys are amazing for reviewing! Thank you! Oh I'm super excited for next chapter… mwahahahaha!


	11. Chapter 11

Something wasn't right.

Dick opened his eyes slowly and rolled over in his bed, listening to the sounds of Metropolis waking up. He untangled himself from his blankets and sat up slowly, blinking to clear the weariness from last night's mission away.

Sunlight was shining through the blinds across his window, and he pulled himself out of bed, stumbling towards his dresser to pull on his training clothing like he did every morning.

Something still wasn't right…

His assassin senses were tingling, and despite the normal start to the day, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen… he just didn't know what it was yet.

Fully awake now, Dick snatched his katana up from the small desk in the corner of his room and carefully opened the door, every muscle tense and preparing to leap backwards in case an attack came-

Nothing.

The hallway in front of his door was absolutely empty, which was oddly completely normal. They only had a few security guards, and those were up on the top floor of the Lexcorp building by Lex's office. Dick's office was only about halfway up.

He hesitantly slipped out of his room and made his way down the hallway. No monsters leapt out at him, Superman didn't come crashing through the wall, no aliens sucked him up and shot him into space. He arrived at the elevator and moved to press the _up_ button, but suddenly felt a twinge of uncertainty. He didn't know what he could trust right now.

His assassin instincts were _never _wrong.

He went to the stairs and began to climb. It was no big deal, actually. Part of his… what was the word Slade used… _conditioning_, was to climb up and down the skyscraper twice every morning. He was fairly use to it by now.

He went up about twenty floors (just about ten from the top) when his instincts kicked in once again, and he slowed, readying his sword. As he passed a door, a small sound caught his attention, and he whipped around and burst through the door without a second's hesitation. The scene he saw before him was anything but pleasant.

One of the guards, Dick recalled that his name had been Greg, was lying on the floor with his throat slit. Blood pooled around him in an angry red puddle that would almost certainly stain the floor unless the tiles were replaced. Dick immediately sank to his knees next to the man, his hand automatically going to Greg's neck to find a pulse even though he knew it was hopeless.

The man was definitely dead.

Dick stood and narrowed his eyes. Someone had quietly and easily killed this guard as if he were nothing. Not even Slade did that, even when he was extremely angry. Luthor's guards were handpicked by Lex himself (nothing but the best for the archenemy of Superman, he would say) and normally decently trained, at least in Dick's eyes. They were extremely loyal to Lex's cause. For one to be taken out so subtly…

Suddenly his eyes widened and he ran for the steps again, abandoning his caution for speed. He wouldn't meet any assassins on the steps, because now he knew where they all were-

They were going for Luthor.

His adrenaline was flowing through his veins, and his heart was beating faster in anticipation for the fight. The katana was being held at a ready stance at his side.

He burst out of the staircase three floors shy of Lex's office, sounds of a scuffle drawing him towards the door. He had half a second to react. The world slowed down as his eyes whizzed around, frantic to comprehend everything before it was too late-

Luckily Deathstroke had trained him for things like this.

The first thing he saw was the assassin. Dressed in all black, a gun strapped to his thigh, a silver dagger in his hand. The second thing he saw was a single guard next to the assassin, eyes widening comically slow as the assassin's knife reached for his throat. The third thing he saw was another guard on the ground, throat slit just like the one he had found a few floors down. He didn't care to identify this one, but it explained why he had actually heard this attack. The first guard had been taken down first, giving the second time to react before he met the same fate.

He still might, if Dick couldn't react fast enough.

Reaching into the belt that he carried with him at all times, Dick pulled out a handful of shruikens and launched them without a second thought.

The word sped up again.

His throwing stars hit their targets perfectly, as he had known they would. One zipped forward to disarm the assassin just before he could land the blow aimed at the guard, and two others struck him in his stomach and chest. The last one lodged itself into the intruder's neck.

He dropped to the ground, dead.

The guard looked shocked, turning slowly to meet his savior, and gasping when he saw Dick.

"Renegade?" he said, and Dick nodded. The guards didn't know his real name, but they knew about his alter ego.

"Go sound the alarms," Dick commanded, straightening from the fighting stance he was in and narrowing his eyes. "There might be more."

The frightened man raced away, and before Dick could decide what to do next there was the sound of an explosion above him, and the building shook, a piece of plaster falling from the ceiling in front of him. Dick stumbled for a second, but quickly regained his balance.

"Okay then," he muttered to himself. "There's _definitely _more." He raced up to the next floor and froze at the sight.

Mercy was lying on the floor, struggling to get up. At first he didn't understand why she couldn't, but sparks flew up from her mechanical body and he tilted his head to see that her legs had been completely blown off.

Across the room was Slade, engaged in a deadly dance with four assassins. They were well trained, but it seemed to Dick like they wouldn't last much longer. They slashed and leapt at Deathstroke determinedly, but the mercenary effortlessly dodged their attacks and retaliated with swinging fists.

Dick scanned the room, searching for Luthor. The genius wasn't in sight, and Dick assumed he had retreated up to his office.

Suddenly one of the assassins broke off from the fight with Slade and sprinted towards the staircase. Deathstroke saw him go and for a second moved in pursuit, but the other three invaders pressed their attack on him and forced him backwards. They were only serving to distract Slade now, to ensure that he couldn't interfere, and they were just good enough that it would take a while for him to kill them all.

Dick took the opportunity to race across the room while the assassins were occupied with keeping Slade busy. He slashed at one as he passed, bloodying his sword slightly, but he couldn't tell if it even effected the target. He bolted up the stairs, taking two at a time, and burst up into Luthor's office, not even pausing to analyze the situation as he tackled the assassin to the ground and skidded across the floor to roll to his feet directly in front of Luthor's desk, sword at the ready.

Lex was sitting behind him, a shocked look on his face. He looked at Dick with wide eyes, obviously off his game, but a small noise caught the assassin-in-training's attention instead.

The assassin clambered to his feet and glared at him, then let out a short, barking laugh that made Dick bristle.

"_This_ is your assassin, Luthor?" the invader hissed, chuckling under his breath, and Dick bared his teeth. "He is merely a child! Do you really expect to stop me, boy?"

The last bit was obviously aimed at Dick, and he scowled.

"I don't just expect to stop you, I expect to kill you." Dick said, keeping both his voice and sword level. The assassin didn't blink, but instead drew the gun from the holster on his leg and squeezed off three shots. Dick blocked them skillfully, smirking.

"That all you got?"

The assassin charged, drawing his own sword, and they met with the sound of clashing metal. Dick immediately felt the power in the assassin's arms and somersaulted backwards. The man was strong- a lot stronger than he was. He would have to use his acrobatics to get the upper hand.

With a shout, he shot forward, staying on his toes and leaping towards his opponent nimbly. The other man stabbed forward, and Dick flipped over it, leaping into the air to deliver a powerful kick into the man's face.

"Who are you working for? Why are you trying to kill Luthor?" Dick snarled as he skipped around an attack that would have cleaved him in half. "What do you want?"

The man laughed and attacked again, but Dick was more than ready for it and moved, cutting a shallow wound in his opponent's side. The man gasped in pain and struck out, managing to catch Dick across the face and sending the smaller boy sprawling backwards.

Dick shook his head to clear it and was forced to dive aside as a sword came down where he was standing seconds before and stabbed into the ground, sinking in almost hilt deep. The man tugged at the sword, but it wouldn't budge, and Dick wasn't just about to let such a golden opportunity pass.

He made the final blow without hesitating while the assassin was still trying to pull his sword out of the floor.

He stood there for a second, staring at the man's body, when sudden applause made him turn around.

Dick could remember a time when he loved applause. The best part of the circus besides the trapeze was the thunderous applause they received after performing.

This applause was sick and wrong, and Dick wanted to stab whoever was doing it.

He was legitimately considering it until he saw who was clapping.

Luthor.

"My dear boy, I must say that was very impressive," Lex said, a predatory smile on his face. "Your skill… that fight was over very quickly." He had apparently recovered from the shock of almost being assassinated.

Dick turned away from Luthor and half-heartedly kicked at the body.

"He made a mistake," he muttered. "He underestimated me… and got too cocky. That's why he was beaten so quickly."

Luthor approached him slowly, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Dick shivered at the contact.

"Excellent work, Richard."

Suddenly the door barged open, and Slade strode in. Blood was splattered across his mask.

"What did I miss?"

"Ah, Deathstroke. It's nice of you to show up."

"Sorry. Got held up," Slade apologized, narrowing his eyes when his gaze landed on Dick and the dead body beside him.

"Apprentice. Good work."

Dick nodded at the praise.

"Who were those guys?"

Both adults froze at the question.

"What do you mean, child?" Lex said, glaring at him, and Dick flinched involuntarily at the tone of his voice.

"Who are they?" he repeated. "Why were they trying to kill you?"

Slade and Luthor exchanged a glance, and Lex's hand tightened on his shoulder for a second before he removed it.

"A competitor," Lex said, waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure Deathstroke will fix the situation."

Slade nodded grimly, and Dick frowned.

"…But-"

"No buts, apprentice. Go see to the guards. Find out how many we lost."

Dick glared at his masters for a split second before turning and storming out as not-obviously as possible. He had guards to attend to.

**_Line Break_**

Lex sighed and collapsed into his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. It wasn't every day you were nearly assassinated by enemies of The Light.

It could have been a lot worse. He could have been killed. It was only thanks to the quick actions of his little assassin that he was alive.

Not that The Light would have cared if he _had_ died.

But the boy had protected him. He didn't know or care if it was simply instinct, loyalty to his masters, or actual desire to aid him (he hoped it was the latter) but he was surprised by Richard's skill. Deathstroke's training was paying off.

He slowly laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands. The boy was almost thirteen… and he had recently proved his worth, to Luthor and by taking out the enemies of the Light.

The other members _had_ been expressing their interest in meeting the boy at their last meeting…

It was time for Richard Grayson to meet the light.

A/N: For the record, I have no idea how many floors Lexcorp has in it, so I had to make it kind of vague, sorry. This one is a couple months after his meeting with Roy and Wally. He's almost 13, but not quite. Last chapter was a few months after his failed attempt to kill Bruce. Sorry, I forgot to add that. Uh, I'm not sure of this chapter. I debated not posting it, but then I was like, what the heck I'll do it. Thanks for the wonderful reviews.


	12. Chapter 12

Apparently the Light met in person once every year to discuss things face to face.

This time, Dick was attending.

He had been instructed to stay completely silent unless spoken to, and to remain on guard throughout the entire meeting as he was going to be an unofficial security guard for Lex. All the members of the Light had someone there as protection- Lex had him and Deathstroke, Queen Bee had Biyalian soldiers, Ra's al-Ghul had a huge man called Ubu, Ocean Master had Atlantian guards, The Brain had a monkey called Mallah or something, and Klarion had a cat that looked completely harmless but had an evil aurora around it that made Dick shudder every time he saw it.

The only person without personal security was Vandal Savage himself, and with all the other people around Dick wasn't surprised. Everyone here was loyal to the Light, and Savage himself. Vandal was perfectly safe.

The members filed in, small conversations going between them and their guards as they approached a circular table. Dick spotted Slade talking to Ra's guard Ubu across the room, and Lex discussing something with Queen Bee over by the table.

A sudden tap on his shoulder made Dick whirl around, hand going to his sword hilt, but he relaxed in relief when he saw it was only Klarion, floating above the ground on what looked like a grey cloud and cackling in amusement.

"Someone's a little jumpy, aren't you kiddo!"

Dick cocked an eyebrow, somewhat surprised at the childish remark. To be completely honest he _was_ a little nervous… he was meeting his boss's boss. And there was no telling what the Light would do to him if they _didn't _approve.

"Well I _am_ supposed to be on guard," he shot back, before realizing that he was talking to a member of the Light and should've been more respectful. But instead of blasting him to dust like he half-expected Klarion to do, the witch-boy cackled again and floated down closer to him, reclining on the… whatever it was… cloud-thing.

"I like you, kiddy. What's your name?"

"Uh- Renegade."

"Pleased t' meet 'ya, Uh-renegade. What's your favorite color? Do you like cats? Favorite food, favorite sorcerer, saddest moment? Happiest? Least favorite do-gooder? And when's your birthday?"

Dick blinked, baffled by the onslaught of questions, but before he could even begin to try and answer, Vandal sat down at the table and looked around expectantly at the awaiting crowd. Klarion pouted comically, frowning at the leader of the Light.

"We'll continue this conversation later," Klarion whispered, making a face at Vandal and winking at Dick before zooming away and settling daintily in his seat, his cat curling up in his lap and keeping one eye open, watching the meeting. Dick stood behind Luthor's chair respectfully as Slade joined him, having bid farewell to Ubu.

"The meeting of the Light will now begin," Savage boomed, and the room went silent instantly.

"The members of the Light will now make their reports," he said, quieter this time, and Dick sighed as Queen Bee stood and began to talk.

"Our new friends have been graciously cooperating with us, agreeing to send us apocalyptic technology through boom tubes as test subjects for-"

It was really quite boring, and Dick tuned out most of what was being said as they went around the table, barely even hearing Ocean Master's proposition to gain a starfish thingy that seemed completely stupid, Ra's report on a clone that seemed to be acting as a sort of spy, Klarion's quest for the helmet of Fate, and the Brain's new collar technology. He was so out of it that he almost jumped when Lex stood to make his own report.

"Everything is going as planned," Lex began smoothly. "I am pleased to report that CADMUS's project Kr has begun, and in six months the clone will be halfway grown. In about a year we will have a complete copy of Superman for the Light's use."

There was a small noise of appreciation from the room, but nothing more, and Dick suspected that the Light was still didn't completely approve of the idea. Luthor continued.

"On another note, I have another thing to report," he purred, glancing behind him at Dick as he spoke. "For the past few years, I have been in the process of training an assassin with the help of Deathstroke the Terminator," Slade nodded at the watching crowd as his name was mentioned, "and the boy has since proven his loyalty to the Light, even going so far as to protect myself from assassins just last week."

Dick fidgeted uncomfortably as the eyes of every person fell on him in curiosity and approval. He longed to curl up in a ball and hide as their criticizing eyes roamed over him.

A voice interrupted their studying of him.

"Have the boy step forward," Ra's said, leaning forward in his seat and narrowing his eyes at the young assassin. Dick did so, moving closer to the table so that he was standing directly next to Lex.

"What is your name?" Vandal asked, staring Dick directly in the eye, and Dick lifted his head higher.

"Renegade," he said as instructed, with as much confidence as he could muster. There were a few mutterings among the crowd, and a small smile slipped onto Savage's mouth.

"Your real name, child," Ra's said, and he too was smiling. Dick glanced at Lex cautiously, he had been told not to reveal his real name unless asked. When Luthor nodded, Dick looked back at the waiting Light.

"Richard Grayson," he said, his mind suddenly filling with images of trapezes and circus tents, and he couldn't help adding, "the last living member of the Flying Graysons." He immediately froze, wondering if he'd said too much, but the Light didn't seem to have heard him. Slade did however, and nudged him none too gently from behind to get him to shut up.

Ra's eyes were wide in surprise, but it quickly faded into amusement.

"Grayson," he repeated, looking thoughtful, and then suddenly chuckled. "I'm sure the Court of Owls would be quite interested to hear that."

Lex glared at him.

"The Court has no claim over him anymore," the genius insisted sternly. "He is mine now. Ours," he corrected quickly at Vandal's look, "ours."

Ra's nodded, still looking slightly amused, and Dick dimly wondered what he was talking about before Queen Bee spoke again.

"How many enemies of the Light have you slain, Renegade?" she asked, and Dick took a quick second to count, not including Zucco and the many security guards and policemen he had killed. A pang of regret hit him for a second before he squashed it down and answered.

"Twenty-two."

She smiled coldly at his answer and nodded at Slade approvingly.

"You have indeed trained him well, mercenary."

Deathstroke nodded stiffly at the praise.

"You are positive of his loyalty?" a mechanical voice asked, and Dick glanced over at the Brain, barely restraining himself from making a very rude gesture in the machine's direction.

"Quite," Lex answered. "I would not bring him here if I were not."

"Even so," Ocean Master drawled, "I would prefer to ask the boy directly." Dick narrowed his eyes… he hated being talked about like he wasn't even there. Ocean Master turned to him.

"Are you loyal to the Light, Richard Grayson?" he asked, and Dick opened his mouth to reply, yes, of course, but a memory popped up uninvited- Roy and Wally in a small coffee shop, laughing over something stupid, and for a second all his doubts returned.

He squashed them down. He _was_ loyal to the Light. He definitely was.

Was he?

"Yes," he said out loud, letting a proud smile grace his lips.

_I don't know!_ he screamed inside his head, lost in a tangle of lies and uncertainty.

The pleased faces of the Light looked back at him.

**_Line Break_**

The meeting had been going on for about an hour and a half (and Dick's legs were falling asleep!) when he and Slade both noticed a small commotion among the Biyalian guards across the room. Dick glanced at Deathstroke and saw he was staring at them, narrowing his eyes in a way that meant he had seen something that wasn't quite right. Vandal was talking, something long and boring about evolution and rightful rulers that Dick totally wasn't following.

To their right, Ubu raised his hand to his ear, answering a communicator. He listened for several seconds and then removed his hand, leaning down and urgently whispering in Ra's al-Ghul's ear. Ra's looked surprised, then stunned, and finally he stood anxiously and interrupted Savage's speech.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Savage, but I've just gotten word from one of our spies that the Justice League received an anonymous tip that something big was happening here. They know nothing of our organization or our plans, but they are on their way."

There was a stunned silence before Slade stepped forward, speaking for the first time since they had arrived.

"Well, that's that, then," he stated dryly, and before anyone could move his gun was in his hand and he had fired directly into the Biyalian's ranks, shooting one directly through the throat.

There was a split second where it seemed like he had started a war. Queen Bee leapt to her feet with a scream of rage. The soldiers all aimed directly at Slade. Dick shifted his weight to the balls of his feet and prepared to jump into battle-

But Savage's hand flew up.

"Wait," he called, and the soldiers stood down, still glaring at Deathstroke. Their dead comrade was on the ground.

"Deathstroke, explain yourself," the leader of the Light said, glaring at the mercenary with an expression that meant he had better have a good explanation, or else he was dead.

Slade strode over to the dead man and ripped off his helmet, revealing a face that definitely wasn't Biyalian. Queen Bee gasped.

"This man is not one of my guards," she hissed, suddenly seeing the situation in a completely new light. "All my soldiers are pure Biyalian."

Deathstroke nodded.

"He was the one who tipped off the Justice League," he said. "Has he been with you long? Has he heard of the Light until now?" Queen Bee shook her head.

"He has only been with me for a month," she said, "and he hasn't known anything until now."

Slade nodded again, visibly less tense.

"Good," he said. "He's most likely a spy of some sort. Luckily he didn't have any time to pass information of our operation onto the Justice League or anyone else. Our secret has died with him."

The Light calmed considerably until Klarion rose to his feet.

"Well, I dunno if you old farts forgot, but the Justice League are on their way. I'm gone. See 'ya!"

He snapped his fingers and a red portal formed in front of him. Klarion leapt into the spinning vortex and disappeared.

The Light sighed, as if they were use to Klarion's insolence, and stood as one.

"The meeting is adjourned!" Vandal boomed. "The date for the next meeting will be arranged later."

They began to file out, and Dick drew his sword at the exact moment Slade did, automatically moving to Lex's side as protection. There was momentary chaos as the people rushed to get out. Ra's and Ubu shoved to the front of the crowd and left immediately, followed closely by Vandal Savage and Queen Bee and her soldiers. Slade, Dick, and Lex moved to follow, but just as they did, there was a thud and the walls shook. Everyone froze for a second.

"The League is here! Masks on!" someone shouted, and lead-lined ski masks were thrown on everyone so they wouldn't be identified just as Superman burst through the wall. The next moments were pure chaos. Smoke bombs were thrown as the league charged in, making it impossible for anyone to see really. Deathstroke latched onto Luthor's suit with one hand and charged forward with the genius in his grasp, firing randomly with his gun as he went. Cries went up indicating that he'd hit _someone_, but the smoke was too thick to identify who.

To Dick's left, a blaze of green was visible through the smoke, and Dick could just make out Green Lantern a few feet away. His back was turned to the young assassin, and Dick didn't hesitate to toss a shuriken in his direction, a yelp of pain and the vanishing of the green glow signifying that his aim was true. Two red beams cut through the smoke as well, but Dick didn't attempt to attack Superman. He knew it would be pointless.

A few more steps, and they were out of the smoke-filled room, sounds of the fight still audible from behind them. They all but dove into Luthor's limousine, and Slade slammed his foot down onto the gas. With a roar, the limo shot out of the parking garage they had been in and barreled down the street.

Deathstroke drove like a madman for the next few blocks before finally slowing down, much to the other passengers' relief. They removed their masks, and then there was silence for a moment.

"Well," Lex said quietly, "that went well."

A/N: This occurs a week after the attempted assassination. Sorry that there's such little action in this one. So last night I was brainstorming, since this was the last chapter I had planned out before I began writing, and I planned out the rest of the story! I'm super excited, I hope you guys are too! On a less happy note, updates will be a little slower for the next couple weeks because I'm going to a camp with my family, but I'll try to get ahold of my dad's laptop so I can at least do something. Hope this one was okay. I kind of liked it, but I feel like you guys were expecting something else. And I didn't really know what to do with the ending so… yeah. Anyway, love you guys! Thank you so much for all the awesome reviews! Also, anyone watch Arrow? My cousins introduced it to me, and we just finished season one… so amazing! Okay, Roy is hot in this show. Anyone else? If you haven't seen it, watch it. It's amazing. And Slade… on the island… so awesome. 'Kay, I'll stop now. Wait, one more… If you don't know what the Court of Owls is, look it up. It's a cool storyline.


	13. Chapter 13

Dick paused for a second in his work to glance up at the sly women he had been instructed to work with as he hacked into the security vault of the Museum of Curious Artifacts in Jump City, California. Cheshire was sneaky, skilled, and very, very dangerous, and if Dick wanted to get anything done he'd have to keep an eye on her at all times.

They were both after different artifacts- he didn't know exactly what Cheshire was after, but he himself had been instructed to get the remains of an odd meteorite that was rumored to have traces of kryptonite in it. Why Luthor was so obsessed with the rock really puzzled the assassin- sure he knew it was Superman's weakness but seriously… creepy stalker much?

Dick had met Cheshire on the top of the building while inspecting the security and a short fight had occurred until they had reached a mutual understanding. Safety measures were extremely tight around here, and neither Cheshire nor Dick himself had the skill to pull a heist off alone. They needed each other, and that was the only reason he was teaming up with her.

He finally got into the mainframe and switched off the lasers in the inner vents. This particular system required for him to continuously hack in and defend his own systems from different viruses. It was difficult work, and Dick couldn't do that and navigate his way through the ventilation system at the same time.

"Got it," he whispered quietly to the older assassin, and she purred in satisfaction, sending shivers down Dick's spin.

"Oh, perfect," she said, slipping the cat-like mask onto her face and taking a dagger to the grate of the vent, tugging it off and slipping inside silently. Dick watched quietly through the security cameras as she made her way through and dropped down onto the floor below, pressing the button to deactivate the security up until that point.

Dick deactivated his hologlove and sped down the vents himself, hopping down next to Cheshire who was casually leaning against the wall, twirling her dagger around her finger.

"What took you so long?" she sighed dramatically. "I don't have all day, you know."

He glared at her and shook his head, turning his attention back to the task at hand.

"Okay, there's a series of invisible laser beams up ahead. I can turn most of them off, but there's a few that stay activated no matter what until morning. I can tell you where they are if you'll listen."

He pulled up his hologlove once more and activated the sensor, carefully scanning the room and deactivating everything that he could. He nodded at Cheshire when he was done, and she began to cautiously move ahead, her movements smooth and graceful.

"Freeze!" Dick yelled out, and Cheshire did just that, stopping with her foot inches from the floor, muscles trembling from the strain.

"Okay, listen, there's two here. One about eye level, and one just below your foot."

"Cutting it kind of close, don't you think?" she hissed, and her voice was slightly strained.

"Sorry," he apologized, and she grunted, backing up slowly and breaking into a run, leaping up the wall to get above both lasers and landing on the other side in a crouch.

"Okay, great," Dick said, hurriedly typing into the glove to find the next beams. "You have a couple more feet to go before- stop, stop!" She froze again, glaring back at him angrily. "You're a centimeter away from another beam that's slicing diagonally across the room from left to right. It's about level with your thighs right now."

Cheshire moved back a step and moved to the left so she could easily duck under the beam. She turned around, casting a criticizing eye over his way.

"Before I move on, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Dick narrowed his eyes, studying the hologlove carefully.

"There's a bunch of crisscrossing ones up ahead."

"And how do you expect me to get through those?"

"I'll tell you how, just like the other ones."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not entirely trusting of your judgment."

Dick scoffed.

"What's not to trust? You're totally not feeling the aster."

She whipped around to face him, the edge of her green robe nearly clipping a laser.

"What?"

"What?"

"No, what you-"

"Feeling the aster? If like is the opposite of dislike, isn't aster the opposite of disaster?"

She stared at him for a couple more seconds, then shook her head and made a small noise that Dick couldn't quite make out. He made a face at her before turning back to the hologlove.

"Alright, here's the more complicated part. After this, the rest is easy. The first laser is about a foot in front of you about the height of your knee. There are two more crossing in an X shape from the corners just after that, and they cross in exactly the middle of the hallway. Uh… can you make it?"

She snorted audibly.

"Of course. I_ am_ the best at what I do."

She spun up and kicked off the wall, shooting above the first laser and landing on her tiptoes just in between it and the X in front of her. For a split second she rocked back and forth, unable to use her arms to steady herself in fear of touching a laser, before finally regaining her balance.

Dick let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding in.

It only took a moment for her to slip past the X, and Dick relaxed as she pressed the button on the other side to finally deactivate the rest of the security. He strode past the now inactive lasers and followed Cheshire through the door leading to the main artifact room.

The entire room was filled with nothing but treasures. Crates of gold, a golden mummy, jewels, ancient vases, old statues- it was truly a thief's delight, but Dick was only there for one thing. He saw Cheshire move over to a case full of mythical amulets before he turned, drawing a laser-cutter from his belt as he approached the rock in question.

There were flakes of glowing green stone infused with the meteorite, obviously kryptonite, and Dick skillfully cut a small circle in the case and extracted the rock. He was a split second away from stuffing it into his belt when suddenly a dagger flew through the air, narrowly missing him and impaling itself in the wall behind him. He twisted, glaring towards his attacker: Cheshire.

"You know, I was thinking," she drawled, cocking her head in a casual gesture and crossing her arms, "I'm getting paid plenty of money for _this_ little thing," here she held up the amulet and swung it around her finger, "but if Lex Luthor wants that little stone so badly that he sends his trained assassin for it, he'll pay a fortune if someone else offers it!"

She charged him, drawing her sword, and he barely had a second to draw his own weapon before she was onto him.

Dick had to admit, she was exceptionally skilled. Her attacks were quick and precise, with a little flair added to the end of each move for dramatics. Dick could appreciate that, after all, he _was_ from the circus. But he had trained with arguably the greatest swordsman alive, Deathstroke the Terminator.

She wasn't as good.

He retaliated, breaking her forward offense and pushing her back, their swords clashing with every step he took. The flair was abandoned as Cheshire was pressed further backwards towards a mummy display. She stepped backwards when Dick stabbed at her, and her back connected with the display.

Leaping up on top of the case and out of his sword's reach, she reached into her pouch and pulled out a smoke bomb, but before she could detonate it, he dove forward, and his sword connected with her hand- not stabbing it, but slashing a deep cut down from her palm to wrist and making her drop the bomb in surprise. He followed up with a kick aiming to knock her off her perch, and while she blocked it the attack was still good enough to get her down to the floor.

The tumbled for a moment, rolling across the floor until Dick slid to a stop and picked himself up, raising his sword in preparation for another attack. Cheshire skidded another few feet before finding her footing and drawing a second dagger. She threw it with incredible accuracy, and Dick was forced to roll aside as it flew past.

He had barely risen back to his feet when a sudden noise alerted him, and he looked up just in time to block Cheshire's attack. He cart wheeled around her, and she bent backwards to dodge his sword. He added some quick acrobatics into his attacks, successfully confusing her for the moment.

"I thought we were working together," Dick grunted, deflecting one of her blows and striking out, slicing off a tip of her green robe.

"Not anymore, Renegade," she growled, spinning and slashing at him. "Business is business, you understand that… and I'll have even more business if you'll hand over that little rock of yours!"

Dick narrowed his eyes at her, and then hissed as she slashed a shallow cut into his forearm.

"How about… no."

He managed to catch her in the face with his foot and her mask went spinning into the shadows as she stumbled backwards. He whirled and sprinted away while she struggled to regain her balance, ignoring the security and running straight through the door, setting off the alarm.

He could hear her behind him, running just as silently as he was, but his ears were trained to hear her footsteps. Suddenly there was a whistling noise coming from behind him, and he stepped aside as yet another dagger shot past him.

Sighing heavily, he decided to address the problem.

"I don't really want to kill you, Cheshire," he said disinterestedly, holding his sword out to the side as she approached.

"I don't plan on being killed," she said in an equally bored tone. "Like I said before, I don't have all day."

"Then why are you chasing me? Is this not taking up your time?"

She glared at him, as he could clearly see now since she had failed to retrieve her mask.

"Never mind that. I can request a hefty ransom for your stone. That's all you need to know."

Again she charged, but Dick was tired of her attempts, and had his own smoke bomb ready. He threw it down on the ground just as she reached him. She began slashing at random, cutting paths through the smoke, and Dick dropped to the ground as her sword flew over his head in an arc that would have decapitated him had he been a second slower.

He stayed low to avoid her and army-crawled out of the fog, scrambling to his feet and hand springing away, sheathing his sword as he did so. He heard Cheshire's frustrated cry behind him as he sprinted away, disappearing into the darkness and leaving the female assassin in the dust.

**_Line Break_**

"Welcome back, apprentice," Slade drawled as Dick slunk back into Lexcorp, eying the cut on his arm. "Everything go well?"

"Yes, master," Dick sighed, trudging towards Lex's office halfheartedly. The genius was sitting at his desk as usual, but didn't look up until Dick slammed the meteorite down onto his desk.

"Ah, the kryptonite. Excellent work, Richard."

Dick nodded mutely and turned, intending to leave, but Luthor put a hand on his shoulder. Dick stopped, but shrugged the hand off.

"This is most unlike you, boy," Lex mused. "Care giving me an explanation to explain your behavior, boy?"

Dick considered telling him for a second. The truth was that he was simply tired. Tired of pulling the same jobs, tired of doing the same thing over and over again. Tired of working for Lex and Slade especially. But there was no way he was telling his master _that._ He decided to keep it a little vague.

"Just tired, master," he mumbled, and then retreated back to his room.

He needed a way out.

A/N: First off- happy 75th anniversary of Batman, guys! I think it's appropriate for me to update today of all days! I wore my batman shirt today… anyway, this chapter. My brother gave me this idea yesterday. It was not planned out, and therefore is very rough. I don't like it, but I hope it's alright for you all. So I've been thinking. Would anyone be interested in a story with all the batboys? Like, Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian? I have a great idea with them. And I also recently got a good idea for another Young Justice fic, this one not AU. Thank you for your reviews, guys! Love it! One more thing though- to : It's perfectly fine if you translate this story in Spanish. It would be cool! Uh, maybe PM me when you publish it or something, just so I know. I love the idea, though! If anyone is interested in reading this story in Spanish, is translating it. That's all, love you guys!


	14. Chapter 14

Dick was called up to Lex's office in the middle if the night. Slide woke him roughly, shaking him urgently.

"Get up, apprentice," he hissed, and Dick sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at Slade and was surprised to see the mercenary in full gear, sword at his side.

"What's going on?" he asked, now fully awake. "Is it more assassins?"

Slade shook his head and Dick felt his curiosity grow, but instead of asking more questions he followed Slade's hurried instructions and tugged on his Renegade suit.

His master, instead of making him run up twenty flights to get to Lex's office, directed him into the express elevator (not that Dick was complaining, but it was still _weird_). Dick narrowed his eyes as they shot upward. Something was wrong... Not as pressing as assassins trying to kill them all, but enough that Luthor needed his help and _fast_.

When they stepped out of the elevator, the genius was waiting for them, pacing anxiously across the room. When Dick stepped into his line of sight, he gave him a strange smile, one that just barely kept up Lex's facade of calm.

"Ah, Renegade," he said, and his voice was strained. "I'm glad you are here. Listen closely and carefully, because we have no time for me to repeat myself for you."

Dick nodded once, and Luthor began to speak very quickly.

"Five minutes ago, every security camera in a supposedly secure warehouse in Bludhaven was shut down without explanation. This warehouse is very, very important to the Light, and if it's contents are compromised, it could be a great loss for our organization."

Dick nodded, seeing where this was going.

"You want me to go and get rid of the intruders," he stated. "But with all due respect, there is no way I'll be able to get from here to Bludhaven in time-"

Lex cut him off, an impatient expression on his face.

"We have no time, Richard. At this very moment the intruders could be infiltrating the warehouse. I am... reluctantly desperate enough to use means that I would otherwise disregard."

He dug into his desk and removed a tiny little box that beeped and lit up in his hand. Dick eyed it suspiciously.

"This is a motherbox," Luthor explained. "It hasn't technically been tested yet, which is why I am reluctant to use it. However... will transport you directly to the warehouse through a boom tube."

Dick had heard of these things before- rumors and whispered conversations during the Light meetings. He wished he had payed more attention in their last meeting- hadn't Queen Bee said something about boom tubes? But he took the box from Lex's outstretched hand and glared at it warily.

"What's in the warehouse?" he asked, and Lex glared at him.

"Don't worry about that, Richard. Get it done."

Luthor barked out an address and the motherbox began to glow. For a second Dick debated dropping it, but he didn't want to risk punishment today. He felt a strange sensation behind him and heard a sound like distant thunder, and then he was sucked into a swirling vortex of light and sound.

When the disorientated feeling passed, he was thrown out of the tube uncemoniously and landed on the ground, rolling several feet before he could right himself. He stood shakily and looked around, the harsh skyline of Bludhaven rolling out in front of him. The warehouse he had been told of was just too his left.

There was a crackling of static in his ear, and then he could hear Slade's voice.

"Renegade? Come in, Renegade."

Dick moved his hand to his comm.

"I'm alright... It worked. I'm in Bludhaven."

"Excellent. Good to know you aren't dead, apprentice."

Dick felt a surge of annoyance.

"What if it had killed me?"

He could almost hear Slade's casual smirk and shrug.

"I would have been short one assassin?"

Dick wanted to groan, but he had a job to do.

"I'm entering the warehouse now," he sighed, slinking into the shadows and making his way into the huge room.

"Very good, Renegade. Deathstroke out."

Dick continued to creep through the shadows, and could hear voices coming from just around the corner.

"...no WAY you're thinking of taking all the credit for this, Speedy! Dude, we were here first, we found the place! And you aren't even on the team!"

"I told you, it's Red Arrow now! And I'm here, aren't I? Who cares if I'm on your stupid little team or not!"

"I do! And of course it matters! Don't you agree, Supey?"

"...I don't care."

"HA!"

"Awww, Supey! I thought you were on my side!"

"Guys, can we please not fight? We're suppose to be a team!"

"I agree. We need to focus on the task at hand."

"...sorry..."

Dick didn't understand why they were being so incredibly loud. If it was him trying to steal something from this warehouse, he would be beaten severely for being this loud about it.

He peaked around the corner and studied the intruders.

The first one he saw was Project Kr, standing to the side awkwardly as the other sidekicks battled it out. He vividly remembered the day when Luthor had stormed into the gym where he had been training. The genius had been absolutely furious, shouting obscenities at the top of his lungs and cursing the Justice League, their sidekicks,and CADMUS for the loss of his weapon. The couple weeks after that had been terrible- everything Dick had done had been reason for Lex to punish him in his rage.

A girl with green skin hovered in the air near him, looking at a loss for words. Dick ran through everything he knew about the sidekicks and couldn't remember her- she must be new, but she was obviously Martian.

The third sidekick was standing in between Roy and Wa- Speedy and Kid Flash, who looked like they were about to attack each other. He was dark skinned and had tattoos spiraling down his arms. Gills and webbed fingers indicated that he was an Atlantian.

Dick snorted and moved forward out of the shadows. Kr and the Martian noticed immediately and twisted to face him, both raising their arms in defense. Dick smirked at them and raised his finger to his lips, and they both stupidly obeyed him, confused expressions on their faces. It only took a second more for the remaining sidekicks to spot him.

"Renegade!"

Speedy spun around and cocked an arrow at him, hissing his name through his teeth. Dick smirked at him broadly.

"Hey, Speedy! You really want to take me on after last time?"

The archer growled angrily.

"It's Red Arrow, assassin! And this is nothing like last time! Last time I didn't have backup, and you weren't a killer! What happened to your whole "I don't kill" thing?"

Dick let the smirk slide off his face. As much as he hated to admit it, that last comment had hit a nerve. It was time to do his job. He couldn't be distracted by his friendship with Roy and Wally. He drew his katana slowly, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

Only Roy seemed affected by this, however, and took a step back; the rest of them foolishly stood their ground.

"Last time we met, _Speedy_, everything was different. Too much has changed... I've changed. I will not hesitate to kill any of you," he growled, ignoring Red Arrow's snarl of rage. He knew he wouldn't kill Roy or Wally, though. The rest of them he couldn't care less about.

"My client wants you out of this warehouse," Dick said in a low voice, "and since I'm feeling extra kind today, I'll give you a chance to leave now without a fight." He knew they wouldn't take his offer, though. They were heroes, it was against their nature.

Proving him right, Kid Flash scowled at him and fell into a weak fighting stance that Dick would have laughed at if he hadn't been in kill mode at the moment.

"No way!" he yelled, and his teammates nodded in agreement.

"Whatever your so called "client" is hiding in these crates, we have a mission to confiscate it, and you will not stand in our way. Move aside!" Aqualad (whom Dick assumed was the leader) demanded, and Dick glared at him.

For a moment, an intense staring compitition between the assassin and Atlantian ensured, and Dick waited patiently for the sidekicks to attack.

Kid Flash was the first to move (unsurprisingly), and he shot towards Dick as a blur. But his attack was severely lacking skill, and as he neared Dick swung out a fist that the speedster narrowly dodged, skidding off to the side. Kr was just behind him, leaping forward into the air and bringing his fists right where Dick had been a second earlier and making a giant crater. Dick nimbly handspringed backwards and lashed out, landing a kick on the back of Kr's neck as the dust from his attack was clearing.

Yeah, that had been a mistake. Dick felt shock waves run up his leg from the impact, and even though the clone did stumble backwards, he looked more surprised than hurt. While Dick was unbalanced, an explosive arrow was fired just next to him by Red Arrow and he was thrown to the side from the force of the explosive.

Immediately he felt a strange feeling come over him, and then there was _someone else in his head, and it was strange and unwelcome and he couldn't control himself anymore, panic began to build, and what was going on! He couldn't... move..._

In the back of his mind he knew what it was- the Martian was playing tricks on him, messing with his head and attacking him telepathically, causing him panic. He hurriedly racked his brain, frantically trying to remember what Deathstroke had taught him about facing telepaths-

_"When you're facing someone who can get inside your head, think of the worst thing possible- something to drive them out of your mind, confuse them, make them pity you. And while they are distracted or down, then is the time to strike, without mercy, to kill them before they steal you sanity- are we clear, apprentice?"_

The worst thing possible? Ha, that was far too easy. He closed his eyes and remembered the roar of the crowds, the flying, and the terrible _snap_, and the screaming and the crying and the sounds of shattering bone and the blood- _so much blood, it was everywhere, staining the ground, their bodies, his hands-_

To his relief, the hold on his mind disappeared, and the Martian screamed, clutching at her head and falling to her knees. Dick scrambled to his feet and launched himself at her, katana raised. He was about to end her when Kr stepped between them and Dick was barely able to stop his sword in time (it would have shattered against the half-kryptonian skin).

He scowled at the clone angrily for depriving him of his prey until he saw that the Martian was completely unconscious in his arms- his sanity was safe for the moment.

Suddenly there was a shout from behind him, and he whirled around just in time to block to glowing blue (were those made of _water?_) swords from Aqualad. The Atlantian was extremely strong, and Dick was forced to divert all his attention to his new opponent.

"Superboy, take Miss Martian back to the bioship! We shall keep the assassin busy!"

Dick snorted and slashed at him and the Atlatian jumped back before spinning and sending both his water-sword-thingies at him. While Dick countered, Kr- Superboy, gathered the Martian- Miss Martian, in his arms and leapt away.

Dick frowned, but technically he was still fulfilling the mission even if he didn't kill them- his orders had been to protect whatever was in the warehouse, not take down the sidekicks.

As he dueled with Aqualad (who was an admittedly good swordsman) he was surprised when his opponent dropped his water swords and grabbed his katana between his own tattooed hands and managed to hold it there.

"Why do you fight us, Renegade?" he asked, voice strained from keeping Dick's sword trapped between his hands. "Red Arrow has told us that not long ago you were not a killer- merely a thief, and a good one. What has happened that has made you become this?"

"Why do you care?" Dick snapped, glowering at him, and suddenly remembered- where was Roy?

A hissing noise alerted him that an arrow was on its way towards him, and with a surge off adrenaline and strength he managed to tug Aqualad into the archer's line of fire, sleeping gas going off in the Atlantian's face from the arrow and sending him into dreamland. He crumpled to the ground, finally releasing Dick's katana.

Dick left him there- he wasn't in the mood to kill anyone anymore.

"That's the second time I've used your own arrows against you, Speedy! Does that make the little sidekick mad?" he taunted in a baby voice, and a barrage of arrows sped towards him (which were easily dodged).

"It's RED ARROW!" Roy bellowed, and suddenly a huge gust of wind flew by and a yellow and red fist smashed into Dick's face, sending him to the ground.

"And don't call us sidekicks!" Wally howled, charging again, but Dick swept his legs out from under him and sent him sprawling.

Roy growled as Wally struggled to get back to his feet.

"Kid, we're out of our league, as much as I hate to say it! Get Aqualad, we're getting out of here!"

He could have stopped them if he wanted to... But he didn't. He watched as Kid Flash scooped Aqualad up in his arms and zipped away and stared as Red Arrow sprinted after them- but just before the archer went out the door, he turned back towards the assassin.

"What happened to you, Renegade? Why are you killing these people?" His voice dropped, so he was barely speaking above a whisper. "When I fought you before, you were at least happy! Why did you change?"

Dick kept his face carefully neutral.

"That seems to be the question of the day, doesn't it," he said softly, and Roy looked at him for a second more and Dick was worried he'd have to fight him again to get him to leave. But Red Arrow turned and left, and Dick was left alone in the warehouse with crates, a sword, and a thousand questions that he doubted would _ever_ be answered.

Sluggishly he lifted his hand to his comlink and activated it.

"Master, the intruders have been chased off, but it was the sidekick squad. They've retreated for now, but they'll call back up, the League might-"

"Leave the League to me, apprentice," Slade interrupted. "Was the mission a success?"

"Of course," Dick replied curtly. "The items in the warehouse were untouched."

"Excellent work, apprentice," Deathstroke purred, and Dick quietly let out the nervous breath he had been holding in. He was lucky Slade didn't care about him not killing the sidekicks this time,but next time he might not get so lucky.

A sudden thought struck him.

"Um... How do I get back?"

Slade chuckled.

"Use the motherbox, boy. Tell it where you want to go and it will take you there. Deathstroke out."

Dick made a face as he pulled out the blinking box, which beeped at him obnoxiously.

"Erm... Lexcorp, please?"

It beeped and light flashed in front of his eyes, there was the sound of distant thunder once again, and then he was sucked up into the vortex on his way back to Lexcorp.

Dick decided that he hated boom tubes.

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the wait! I got tone of panicked PMs... My bad. Dick is 13 now,mthis occurs right after the episode "Drop Zone" in young justice, so Artemis isn't on the team yet. Neither Dick or the team finds this out, but it was Amazo's parts in the warehouse, Ivo hasnt assembled him yet.**

**I, um... may have accidentally busted my dads laptop *sheepishly grins* it wasn't my fault since I didn't know what i was doing, but yeah... So the past three weeks I've been searching for a portable keyboard to connect to my phone, but I couldn't find it and I got so impatient to write (seriously, I never forgot about this story, the entire time I was just like, I can't wait to write!). I did this entire thing on our iPad, and it's taken me all day and my fingers hurt... And this was my longest chapter yet, almost 3000 words! Y'all should be grateful!**

**So a very wonderful person by the name of "Unturned" did a fan art for this story! It's amazing, you guys absolutely MUST check it out! Unturned's username on deviantart is "aileri", go look it up! Unturned, I none I've already said this a million times, but THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE BEST!**

**So, I have a favor to ask of you guys. My little brother loves to write as well,and he really wants to write a fanfiction for Batman Beyond, which is a totally awesome show if you haven't seen it, I mean, the theme song is kinda lame, but other that it's awesome! Anyway, my brother wants to give Terry a Robin and write about their adventures, but he wants to hold a sort of competition for readers. Since he doesn't have anything published yet, I told him I'd do it for or him.**

**Here's the competition- he'd like for you guys to create your own character to become terry's Robin. what they look like, personality, family (if theirs isn't dead), hips they live. Anything my bro would need to know about the kid. The only thing you should not include is how your character becomes Robin, he wants to do that himself. Heck, you could even try a girl robin (I don't know if my brother would pick a girl, but if she's got a cool backstory he might). I know it's kind of a weird request, but if anyone want to, PM me the idea and I'll pass it along to my brother. And if you have any questions for him you can PM them too, I'll make sure he gets them. If you don't watch batman beyond or don't care, it's cool. This is just for people who are interested, and I'm just doing it as a favor to my awesome brother, who always helps me out when I get writers block. **

**Updates are gonna be a lot slower than usual until I can get a real keyboard, until then I'm stuck slow-typing on the iPad. **

**You guys are the best! Thank you for all your support!**


	15. Chapter 15

He was doing it again- thinking about the child assassin, Renegade.

It happened far too often for Batman's liking. Then again, he was naturally wary of anyone who tried to kill him anyway, so maybe it wasn't that _that_ weird...

For the millionth time that day, he typed "flying graysons" into the search bar of the computer in the watchtower (he was on monitor duty) and stared at the picture that came up.

A photo of the Grayson family on the trapeze came up. Little Richard was easiest to pick out, his soaring form was twice as small as the rest of his family. A joyous expression was on the tiny boy's face as he swung through the air.

_Oh, how so much had changed_.

There was a mechanical whir behind him, and he heard one of the zeta beams activate.

_"Recognized, Superman, 01."_

_"Recognized, Flash, 04."_

Batman quickly shut down the article on the Graysons and pulled up a different document, this one only not showing Renegade's identity. He wasn't ready to reveal that he knew who the assassin was.

"...but then the look on his face was totally priceless! You should've see it, Superman, it was..."

Flash fell silent as he and the Man of Steel approached Batman's position. He could feel two sets of eyes boring into his back, then traveling up to the screen in front of him.

"Batman..." Superman began, and Batman stopped typing to indicate for the Boy Scout to start talking.

"We're... worried about you, Bruce."

Batman didn't react.

"Is that all you wanted to say?" he hissed, and Superman opened his mouth to continue, but Flash beat him to it.

"No!" he burst out. "You're completely obsessed with this kid,Bats! It's unhealthy, and he tried to _kill_ you, for Pete's sake! And you don't even know if... if... um..." He trailed off as Batman fixed him with the infamous bat-glare, gulping nervously.

"What I am doing should be of no concern to you two."

Superman came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder before be could get back to his work.

"Bruce, please," the kryptonian said softly. "I know you want to help the boy, but what if he doesn't want any help? I know what the team's report said but-"

Batman cut him off with a growl.

The team had come back from their mission to investigate a warehouse in Bludhaven to reveal that Renegade had been there, and that he had (as Kid Flash put it) "kicked their butts". Upon further questioning of the team, Miss Martian had revealed his skills in repelling her mental attacks, Superboy had spoke of his acrobatics, and Aqualad his skill with a sword.

The way they had described his fighting methods had intrigued Batman, he wanted to know who was training the not Luthor, maybe Mercy? But try as he might, it seemed irrational for a robot to train a human child. Surely that wasn't it.

For the next few days he had combed the security footage from around the Lexcorp building for anyone, anything that could give him a clue, and finally he found Renegade's instructor.

Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator. He was the only possible option,since traffic light cameras caught him going both to and from the Lexcorp building- and besides, who else could train a child to fight like that?

The team's report had told him that Renegade had seemed extremely hesitant to answer any of their questions concerning his killing sprees, and Red Arrow had revealed that the boy was very unsure of his views on why he was doing what he was anyway. Batman wanted to help him, wanted to believe that his hesitance was enough to assume that he would change if given the chance.

Obviously Superman and Flash didn't believe it.

Instead of saying all these things, he glowered at the other two heroes before turning back to his work. Maybe if he ignored them long enough, they would go away...

"Look, Batman, I know you want to help this kid, but you need to face the facts. What if his whole "I don't know what I believe in" thing was a trick? What if he's trying our you're you into a trap? Or what if you're completely wrong about everything and he wasn't even acting like he wanted out?" Superman continued, and Batman stiffened.

"I'm never wrong."

Flash frowned.

"Why do you care so much about Renegade, anyway?" he asked softly, and Batman sat there for a long moment. It was a good question, one he hadn't really thought of before.

Both his comrades were turning to leave when he finally gave an answer.

"It could have been me."

He said it so softly that he was almost certain they hadn't heard, but they both froze.

"Bruce..."

"If the circumstances had been different, if some things had changed... I could have turned out just like him. I understand."

Superman and Flash were both staring at him with wide eyes, but he turned away and continued to work. He was done talking.

He could hear their footsteps retreating, but before they could leave the zeta beam activated again.

_"Recognized, Green Arrow, 08."_

As soon as Green Arrow entered the room, he could tell something was wrong.

"What is it, Arrow?" he barked, and the archer came straight up to him.

"Batman," he said, "I was told to report immediately to you if I found anything concerning Renegade..."

Batman could feel the gazes of Flash and Superman on hisbacks, but he ignored it.

"What happened?" he growled, and Green Arrow met his gaze.

"There's been another assassination in Star City, I found it a couple minutes ago and was wondering if you wanted to come take a look, and I was wondering if you wanted to take a look-"

_"Recognized, Batman, 02."_

The Dark Knight was already gone.

**_Line Break_**

He was already investigating the crime scene when Green Arrow finally caught up to him.

"Geez Bats, is it too much to wait one second?"

Batman didn't answer, instead be merely shifted aside so that the fellow hero could see the bloodcovered body. The police were already there, stumbling around and doing absolutely nothing, they wouldn't be bothered by them. If this had been Gotham, maybe he would have allowed the Commissioner to work with him, but this wasn't Gotham.

"How do you know that this," he gestured to the poor man lying dead on the ground before him, "was Renegade? He normally doesn't leave any evidence behind besides carnage."

"I know,but we have an eyewitness this time," Green Arrow explained, and he pointed towards a women who was wrapped up in a blanket and being questioned by the police. He gripped Batman by the shoulder as the detective made to stand.

"Wait, have you ID'd the guy yet?"

Batman glared at him before turning back to the body. To his surprise he could identify this victim on sight, he had been after the guy for weeks anyway...

"Samuel Scott," he said, "drug dealer and human trafficker." Green Arrow's eyes widened, but before he could say anything else, Batman was up and moving towards the women.

She was trembling and it took an effort for her to explain what she had seen (she was probably in shock), but she managed to explain that she had been on the rooftop looking over the street, out for some fresh air, when Samuel had come tearing down the street like the devil was after him. She described, choking on her words slightly, how she had watched as Renegade swooped down and stabbed Samuel through the chest before whispering something into the dying man's ear and disappearing again- she had been frozen in fear, too terrified to scream.

She was not lying or making anything up.

Batman made a decision, and strode away towards the zeta beam again, ignoring the questions shot at him by Green Arrow and the police.

He had a mission for the team.

**_Line Break_**

The team was in the middle of an intense sparring session with Black Canary. Aqualad was sparring the older Leaguer in an intense hand-to-hand battle, and it was looking pretty evenly matched. Suddenly with a surge of strength, Black Canary dove forward, managing to pin Aqualad down and revealing that she had been holding back.

Canary offered her hand to Aqualad to help him up, and he accepted.

"Excellent work, Aqualad," Black Canary complimented, glancing over at where the rest of the team had been observing the fight. "But you should work on that jackknife move a little more. It looked impressive but lacked power, if it had been a little stronger you could have won the fight. It also would have been wise to-"

_"Recognized, Batman, 02."_

The entire team gasped as Batman strode into the room. The Dark Knight was covered in crimson blood. Miss Martian let out a shrill scream.

"B-batman! Are you... Are you alright?" Black Canary questioned nervously and Batman waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine," Batman growled. "The blood's not mine anyway."

"Who's is it, then?" Aqualad asked steadily, barely disguising the tremor in his voice, and Batman typed on his holocomputer, pulling up a picture of Renegade.

"Renegade's latest victim's blood," he answered, and the team collectively shuddered.

_"Recognized, Speedy, B06."_

"Did someone say Renegade? Count me in!" Roy commented, stepping out of the zeta tube and fingering his bow. "I've got a score to settle with him." he ignored Batman's glare stubbornly and stepped up beside the team. The Dark Knight sighed heavily through his nose, but began the briefing.

"I believe you all remember Renegade."

The team nodded, so Batman continued.

"His recent actions, including murder and theft, have driven the Justice League to take action against him. The team has been assigned to take him down."

There were surprised gasps from around the room.

"Batman... are you certain?" Aqualad asked, recalling the skilled boy, and Batman bliinked at him.

"I am," he said simply. "See to it that it gets done.

_"Recognized, Batman, 02."_

The team gaped after him before his words finally registered.

_"Batman wants us to catch _him_?" _Kid Flash yelped mentally, and Aqualad frowned.

_"It will be a difficult task, but I am sure that Batman believes we can handlle it if he has assigned it to us."_

_"He's good. We'll have to get the jump on him if we want to take him down," _Superboy growled, and Aqualad nodded, noting Miss Martian's suddenly worried expression.

_"Agreed, Superboy. M'gann, are you all right?"_

She nodded, offering him a hesitant smile.

_"Yes", _she reassured him. _"It's just... when I went into his mind, I saw some terrible, terrible things... and he's younger than us! What kind of life must he be living that he has those kind of memories?" _She shuddered, and Superboy moved closer, wrapping his arms around her shoulders for comfort.

Aqualad looked down at the floor.

"I do not know," he wondered out loud, "but we have been given a mission, and no matter how hard it may seem, we _will_ complete it, so long as we work together. Renegade may be skilled, but he is no match for all of us combined."

Roy, who had been silent until now, spoke into the mental link.

_"I don't know about that... Kaldur, he's really good. And by really good, I mean he took Green Arrow and I out with ease about a year ago, and we could barely touch him! He's a lot better than what you saw last night, he was playing with us! We're going to need a plan... a really good plan."_

_"We will, my friend. Together we will take down this assassin. Are you with me?"_

Their gazes hardened. Superboy cracked his knuckles. Miss Martian gave a watery smile. Kid Flash smirked, determination shining in his eyes. Roy gripped his bow and snarled in agreement.

_"Then we are agreed. Tomorrow, Renegade will fall."_

A\N: This chapter sucks. I was halfway through it twice and it was deleted both times on accident. This has been the third time I've written this... I lost all will to write by the end. So yeah, this is terrible, and I apologize for the stupid OOCness from the League members. Blaaaargh... It doesn't help that this is totally a filler chapter so that makes it extra difficult to write. I'm sorry guys. BUT- I can guarantee that next chapter will be a million times better than this one! More action, more Renegade, and- oops, almost spoiled something! That was close! I hope it will make up for this crappy thing. This occurred a couple of days after the team's encounter with Dick.

My brother is really appreciative to all those people who PM'd me with OCs- thank you so much, and he still hasn't picked one yet so there's still a chance if anyone wants their OC in a story!

Again I apologize for this chapter, and thank you for your wonderful reviews!

A/N#2: Kay so after I wrote this I was like, I can't leave you guys with this, so I decided to wait a couple days so that I could post this one and the next chapter at the same time. Keep reading, the next chapter is soooo much better!


	16. Chapter 16

Dick sighed in frustration as he grappled toward's Lex's private suite in Metropolis. An alarm had been set off there ten minutes ago, and as usual Luthor had sent him to do his own dirty work. Seriously, he could live with being an assassin and pulling jobs for Lexcorp, but being Luthor's personal guard dog was starting to get annoying- first the warehouse in Bludhaven, and now this.

The suite was nice, to say the least. It was dark, since Lex was rarely actually there, but there was an expensive fountain in the front, and a large garden in the back, two stories high. Dick wondered if Luthor and Slade would let him live here instead of at Lexcorp if he asked nicely enough (it was a nice thought, but deep down he knew it would never work).

He perched on top of the fence surrounding the area and raised a hand to his ear.

"This Renegade. I'm at the suite... there's no outside activity, should I go in?"

Lex's voice came from the other end.

"Yes," he replied quickly. "I want the intruders found!"

Dick resisted the urge to growl at him and silently leaped from his perch, crossing the grounds like a shadow and climbing up to a conveniently open window on the second floor. He slipped inside and found himself in a very nice bedroom.

If he had been anyone else, he probably would have been creeped out by the silent, dark house but if anything, Dick felt comforted by the shadows, hiding him and giving him an advantage. He crept down the hall silently, not yet drawing his sword to avoid making noise that could tip the intruders off.

It didn't take very long for him to discover that the second floor was empty of all life except a couple of spiders lounging around in thick clumps of cobwebs. Lex _really_ hadn't been here for a while, Dick wondered why he even bothered to send him out to guard an abandoned house. It seriously got on his nerves.

"The upper floor is clear," he whispered into his earpiece. "I'm moving on to the ground floor." Without waiting for a confirmation he made for the staircase and began to advance down it carefully, hands resting on his hips for easy access to his utility belt.

Peering through the darkness he wasn't surprised that he couldn't see anything, so he continued through the hallways. Eventually he reached a massive dining room- he could just make out the outline of the huge table.

He stood in the doorway for a second, ears straining for any sound, before he deemed it safe and stalked into the room.

He was about halfway across the room when the lights suddenly burst on.

Dick let out an unintentional cry of shock and pain as the sudden contrast blinded him- he couldn't see anything but white. He covered his face with one hand and grasped desperately for his sword, an explosive, _anything_, because he was vulnerable like this-

A voice sounded from his left-

"NOW!"

Suddenly he was tackled from behind by someone with a massive amount of strength and bodily pinned to the wall, hands tight over his wrists. Blinking, he struggled in the iron grip for a moment while his eyes adjusted.

Dick did not like what he saw when they did.

Superboy was holding him against the wall, an angry glare etched into his features. From around the room the rest of the team was floating down to the ground from where Miss Martian had been lifting them with her telekinesis- that's why they hadn't made any noise! Dick swore out loud and twisted in the clone's grip, but couldn't free himself.

Aqualad drew near, one hand on his waterbearers.

"Renegade, you are under arrest!" he proclaimed, and Dick glared at him. "We are taking you into custody."

"Okay, okay... you caught me. How'd you know I was going to be here?" he hissed, going limp in Superboy's grip to save his strength.

Red Arrow stepped forward, a smirk dancing across his face.

"We knew you work for Lexcorp, and we assumed Luthor would send you to investigate if we set of the alarm in his suite. Luckily-"

Kid Flash zipped in front of the archer, taking up the story and ignoring Roy's glare.

"You came, and totally fell for it! HA!" he crowed, doing an odd little dance that Red Arrow joined him in, both smirking at the trapped assassin. Dick growled at them, but Superboy growled back.

Suddenly, Dick was struck with an idea.

"So, Project Kr..." he whispered mischievously so only the half-kryptonian could hear. Superboy stiffened at the name. "What are you doing here with these sidekicks? You should be back at CADMUS, you're a weapon!"

It was obviously a sore subject for the clone, who's grip tightened significantly on Dick's wrist.

"You're just a poor copy of Superman," Dick continued, fully aware of Superboy's growing anger. "You don't deserve a spot on this team. All you'll ever be good for is destroying Superman, and what will your friends say then, _clone_?"

Said clone's grip grew painfully tight, definitely bruising Dick's arms. Dick cried out in mock pain (yes, it hurt, but it took a lot more than bruises to get him to actually cry out now).

"I'm. Not. A. Weapon!" Superboy yelled through gritted teeth, and Miss Martian gasped, floating forward as Dick let out another yelp of fake pain.

"Superboy, stop! You're hurting him!" she cried, and the clone obeyed, lessening his grip a little-

A little was all Dick needed.

Twisting and using his acrobatic skills, he flexed his way out of Superboy's weakened grip. He reached for his belt and opened one pouch.

Kryptonite.

It felt nice to be prepared.

Superboy fell back, and Dick twisted away as the other sidekicks charged at him, handspringing across the room and facing them with a fighting stance.

"Nice try! That was a good idea, but I did my homework this time!"

Dick threw several explosives towards the team. They dodged it, but the explosions lit the nice tablecloth on fire. Miss Martian let out a shriek and rushed out of the room, and Dick scoffed at her weakness.

Aqalad moved forward, but before he could douse the flames, but Dick charged the Atlantian, finally drawing his sword. As he brought the blade down Aqualad snatched up his waterbearers, but instead of forming the swords like Dick was expecting, twin spikked maces appeared and were sent towards his face.

Dick yelped as they connected and flew backwards, almost landing on top of Superboy. He dropped the kryptonite at the clone's feet to free both his hands and moved to stand, but a gust of wind streaked by and sudddenly his katana was no longer in his hands. He stared at Kid Flash uncomprehendingly as the speedster casually inspected the weapon and dropped it to thee floor.

"Yeah, we did our homework, too!" he drawled, then he shot forward at breaknecking speed. Dick dug into his pouch and drew out several ice pellets, tossing them on the floor and leaping to the side as Kid Flash skidded and fell.

Sounds behind him made him turn just in time to jerk to the side as an arrow flew by- it brushed the tip of his nose as it flew past, drawing blood. Dick launched a shruiken, but a stream of water intercepted it in midair. Aqualad swept his waterbearers across the floor and the ice Dick had just used leaped to his command, liquidizing and forming a huge sphere of water that he hurled towards the assassin.

It slammed into Dick and knocked him over, taking his breath away in the same attack. He coughed, trying to expell the water from his lungs.

The fire Aqualad had failed to put out was spreading up the walls and around the room now- Lex was _definately_ not going to be pleased...

Before Dick had fully caught his breath, a storm of arrows flew towards him. In his weakened state he avoided all but one, which pinned him to the floor by his cape. Dick tugged on it, ripping his costume to escape, but when he turned to face Roy he recieved a mace to his ribs.

Letting out a real cry of pain this time, Dick fell backwards, but as Aqualad attacked again he shot straight up in a handstand, sending his feet directly into the Atlantian's chin. Aqualad fell back against the wall, stunned.

Superboy was curled up by the kryptonite, and Aqualad was down, Miss Martian had ran away... where were-?

A yellow and red streak shot past him and stopped by Red Arrow, both of them standing ready to attack despite the fact that their teammates had failed. Dick felt a pang in his heart for Wally and Roy but shoved it down.

"You really think you can stop me?" he taunted, and Kid Flash took that as a challenge, running at him.

"We can sure try!" Red Arrow shot back, and he fired an arrow just as Kid Flash was running forward. "You can't take us all, Renegade!"

Dick let out a haunting laugh.

"Well, I think I'm doing an excellent job so fa- "

_WHAM_!

He had been so distracted with Red Arrow that he hadn't been paying enough attention to Kid Flash- the kick had caught him completely off guard. He tumbled to the ground.

He wiped his jaw with the back of his hand, glaring up at his two unaware friends. The team wasn't pulling any punches this time, using new tricks and skills that Dick hadn't been aware of before- except Miss Martian, where had she ran off too? He knew Martians were weak to fire but he didn't know it was _that_ bad...

His assassin senses were tingling. Something wasn't right.

But he couldn't focus on that right now. Kid Flash was standing right over him, and a quick leg sweep brought him down. Dick gripped Wally by the arm and threw him bodily across the room and into Roy, messing up his shot and making his next arrow go careening off into the fire.

Dick laughed again, smirking at the odd sight of Wally lying on top of Roy, tangled up in the archer's bowstring.

"Wow, you guys are _so_ not feeling the aster. Nice try!"

No one moved.

Kid Flash and Red Arrow were both staring at him like he had grown a second head, their jaws wide open and disbelief shining in thier eyes. Dick furrowed his brow in confusion- why were they-?

Oh.

_Oh_.

He backed away as Roy and Wally clambered to their feet.

"I only know one person who says things like that," Roy muttered, and Dick could have smacked himself.

"Aster...? Is that... Dick?" Wally gasped, and Dick winced at his tone.

"Well, guess my secret is out," he pouted, but on the inside he was panicking. Slade was _so_ not going to be happy...

"Dick, what are you doing?" Wally demanded. "Why are you an assassin?"

Roy stared at him, comprehension slowly making it's way onto his face.

"Lexcorp... Luthor... Renegade... why didn't I see it before? It was so obvious!" the archer growled.

"Wow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were acting like I know who you are!" Dick watched as they both stiffened, then decided to drop the bomb. "Oh, relax. I've known who you two are ever since we met, _Roy and Wally_, and I've kept your secrets."

They stared at him in horror.

"But... we... you-"

"We were your friends!" Roy roared, charging forward and launching a swift uppercut towards Dick's face that was easily dodged. "We trusted you!"

"And there was your mistake," Dick growled at him, sidestepping a kick and shoving Roy back with a kick of his own. Inside he was dying, though. He had always known that one day Roy and Wally would discover his secret- that didn't mean he had wanted the day to come.

As Roy stumbled back, Dick reached up to his communicator.

"Renegade to-" he started to say, but suddenly Kid Flash zipped past him, snatching the comlink from his ear. There was a look of fury on the speedster's face as he crushed the device beneath his foot.

"You'll pay for this!" he swore, and charged at him. Dick grunted as he felt a fist superspeed into his gut and was thrown backwards- he barely managed to land on his feet. Wally continued his attack, a kick thrown at him almost faster than the eye could see, and Dick let it land, rolling with the attack and coming up ready this time.

As Kid Flash streaked towards him to attack once more, Dick tossed the last of his explosives down at his feet, sending Wally flying through the air. He crashed into the wall with a sickening crunch and crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

Dick felt a twisting guilt in his gut, but before he could do anything an exploding arrow landed at his feet and he was sent into the air much like Kid Flash had two seconds ago. He landed on the ground with a thud and groaned, standing shakily. Roy was advancing, a wrathful expression on his face.

"What is wrong with you, Dick? Why are you doing this?" he shouted, and Dick glared at him. Nothing was wrong! This was who he was now! He flipped towards Roy, angry now, and flipped over his head in an impressive display of acrobatics. He landed behind his opponent and lifted his hand to the back of Roy's neck, gripping the nerve there and sending his friend into unconsiousness.

"Sorry, guys," he whispered, a pang of regret resonating through him.

Suddenly he was knocked over from behind by a massive wave of water. Spitting liquid out of his mouth, he turned to face Aqualad, who had obviously recovered. The wave had put out the fire.

"Aargh, seriously?" he fumed. "I'm really getting sick of this! Stay down already!" He was about to attack the Atlantian when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him and turned to face the new threat-

Batman.

The Dark Knight himself was striding across the room towards him, fingers on his utility belt. Dick took a step back and reached for a sword that was no longer there- he looked around to see it all the way on the other side of the room and swore internally.

Batman was still approaching, and Dick backed up again warily, remembering his first encounter with Gotham's protector that hadn't gone so well. Sure he had trained since then, but he was still going to be careful-

Wait a second.

His assassin senses were tingling... something was wrong.

He stared at Batman carefully, and suddenly the Dark Knight looked different... almost... feminine?

Before he could act on this new discovery, however, dark tattooed arms gripped him strongly-

Oh, great. He had forgotten about Aqualad.

Dick struggled in the Atlantian's grip, reaching for his belt, but Aqualad held him tightly. Suddenly the tattoos Dick could see began to light up-

Spots flashed in front of his eyes as electricity (yes, electricity! How was he suppose to know Aqualad could do that?) shot through his body, and he couldn't help the scream that escaped his lips. He thrashed in Aqualad's arms but couldn't escape. Blackness threatened to overcome him as the shocks lessened and the final bits of lightning skittered over his skin.

As he began to slump forward into unconsciousness, he could see "Batman" stop in front of them, and suddenly it wasn't Batman anymore... it was Miss Martian! The entire thing- the flames, her running away, the massive fight- it had all been a plan to distract him until Miss Martian could come in as Batman! No wonder Batsy had looked like a girl-

He slipped into unconsciousness.

A\N: Hope this makes up for last chapter... Again, so sorry 'bout that. I really liked this one and had fun writing it!


	17. Chapter 17

"WHERE IS HE?"

Lex Luthor was, for lack of a better term, throwing a temper tantrum.

A stapler and stack of papers went flying across the room..

"HE COULDN'T HAVE JUST VANISHED INTO THIN AIR!"

From the other side of the room, well out of range of any more flying objects, Slade was leaning casually against the wall, seemingly unfazed by Luthor's enraged screams.

"Mmm."

""MMM"? OUR ASSASSIN THAT KNOWS ABOUT THE LIGHT AND ALL OF MY OPERATIONS IS MISSING AND ALL YOU SAY IS "MMM"?"

'What do you want me to say?" Deathstroke snapped, losing his cool momentarily. "It's not like I care. You only hired me to train him. Besides, it's you're fault anyway."

Lex looked like he had been slapped across the face.

"He- th- WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS MY FAULT?" A cell phone flew across the room, smacking into the wall and shattering.

"I mean," Slade drawled, and it was obvious he was smirking under his mask, "that if you hadn't sent him on an absolutely pointless mission when normal security could have been called, he wouldn't be gone now." He let out the softest of chuckles when Luthor shouted in rage again, chucking a mug of coffee onto the floor.

Slowly, the genius began to calm down, slowing his breathing down to a normal pace and slowly sitting down in his chair.

"Alright... alright," he said slowly. "Calm. Deathstroke, do we know anything?"

Slade shook his head.

"Nothing," he confirmed. "Security cameras were wiped out, and the comm that's normally in his ear, the one with the tracer in it, was crushed on the floor." He raised an eyebrow under the orange and black mask. "I don't suppose you had another tracer on him somewhere...?"

A glass jar filled with pencils and pens shattered on the floor.

"There was other things, though," Slade said, watching Lex stomp around in a another fit of rage. "Skid marks on the floor, arrow shafts, excess water on the ground. Most likely it was the Justice-"

Before he had even finished, Luthor had exploded, strings of profanities exiting his mouth as he proceeded to destroy the rest of his office.

This wasn't going to end well.

**_Line Break_**

Consciousness was returning slowly- waaaaaaaay too slowly for Dick's taste. He could hear voices around him, as if they were coming from a long ways away. Occasionally someone or something would touch him on the arm, but he could't react to them, no matter how hard he tried

What had happened?

Maybe Slade had accidentally given a concussion again- it had happened before. Or maybe he was being tested on again, he was expected by both his masters to build up a resistance to most drugs. Yeah, that must have been it.

Slowly he cracked his eyes open. A white ceiling was the only thing in sight, a swirling pattern etched into it-

Wait.

The ceiling in the medical wing at Lexcorp didn't have patterns in it- and he should know, he'd spent more time staring at that ceiling than he preferred.

Where was he?

Dick bolted up from the soft surface he was laying on- or would have, if he had been able to move his arms and legs. He was jerked to a stop before he could even sit up. Turning his head he could see leather restraints around his wrists and ankles. His belt, boots, and gloves were gone as well- even the knife he kept strapped to his left arm was gone.

He pulled on the restraints fruitlessly, huffing through his nose in frustration and tugging harder when they refused to give out.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Those restraints can hold Batman, and you're not Batman."

Dick froze at the voice and turned to face the speaker.

Wally. And just behind him, leaning against the doorframe, Roy. It was Wally who had spoken, and his voice was cold and icy, a tone Dick had never heard him use before.

In a split second, he remembered everything. He groaned, bending his body on the bed like only an acrobat could.

"Slade's gonna kill me."

Roy raised an eyebrow at this, but remained silent.

"So," Dick said, smirking at the two red-heads standing over him, "what are you guys doing here?"

Roy glared at him.

"Guarding you. We got special permission to come up here."

"Where's here?" Dick asked. Kid Flash answered.

"We're in the watchto- OW!"

Roy had smacked him upside the head.

"Shut up!" the archer hissed, and Dick flashed him a cocky grin.

"Oh, so this is the infamous watchtower. Cool, does that mean we're in space?"

Neither of them answered, but Dick didn't need them to. An awkward silence fell over the trio.

"Why would you do this?" Kid Flash whispered, staring at him, pain visible on his face. "I- we thought you were our friends- why...?" The look on his face seemed identical to one a kicked puppy may have, and Dick felt a twinge of guilt before he smashed it down. He couldn't forget that Roy and Wally were no longer his friends.

He laughed emotionlessly.

"I'm sorry, but this- Renegade- is nothing new. I've been doing it for years."

"Were you ever really even our friend?" Roy burst out, fury audiable in his voice. "Did you ever care? Or was it all a plot to get closer to the League? What's Lex's endgame?"

Dick snorted.

"If you think I'm just going to give up Lex's secrets just like that, you've got another thing coming. What are you gonna do, torture me? And it may be difficult to believe, but I _did_ consider you two friends..."

"Ngh! This is so messed up!" Kid Flash shouted, throwing his hands into the air (Dick inwardly agreed with him). "I thought I knew you! We both did! We hung out a bunch of times, how did I not see it? It's so obvious now!"

"Oh, please," Dick said, arching his back and tugging at the restraints again (he absolutely HATED to be confined). "Aside from my first name and that I'm Luthor's ward, what do you _really_ know about me?"

Wally opened his mouth to reply and Dick cut in before he coud speak.

"Knowing that I like ninjas better than pirates doesn't count."

Silence.

Dick smirked at them as they struggled to think of something.

"Richard John Grayson, last surviving member of the flying Graysons. Son of Mary and John Grayson, who wwere killed in a trapeze accident about five years ago," a voice growled from behind him.

Dick stiffened, his eyes widening as he twisted to see Batman standing in the doorway.

"Someone did his homework," Dick hissed, beginning to struggle again, because a confrontation with the Bat was so _not_ what he wanted right now. And he _refused _to let it show how much Batman's words pained him.

Batman towered over him, and a single glare towards Red Arrow and Kid Flash had them both diving out of the room.

Dick felt a flicker of nervousness as Batman prowled around him.

"Richard," he finally said, and Dick felt a surge of anger.

"Don't call me that," he snarled, straining against leather uselessly. "Only three people are allowed to call me that, and two of them are _dead_. It's Renegade."

If Batman was bothered by his outburst, he didn't show it. Instead, he shifted to type on a computer on the counter beside him. Dick glared at the ceiling in frustration- if he could just get to that computer he could escape!

Batman, still not facing him, spoke.

"Would your parents approve of what Luthor has tricked you to become?"

Dick froze.

Oh yes, he knew what the Dark Knight was doing. Bringing all his insecurities to the surface to break him down, weaken his defenses- and it was working. Barely hiding the tremor in his voice, he managed to reply.

"What does it matter? They're dead," he choked out, turning to face the wall instead of the hero.

"I think it does matter. Would they?"

Dick wanted to scream. The answer was no- it was definately no, and he had known it since the beginning, even when Zucco had come into play- even as he had murdered and stolen and ruined other people's lives.

He didn't know what to say.

Batman turned now, finally making eye contact with him.

"They wouldn't."

Dick felt the air whoosh out of his lungs.

"H-how would you know?" he growled, barely keeping it together.

"I know."

He turned back to his computer and Dick struggled to even out his breathing.

The room was silent for a long while.

"Well?" Dick demanded, glaring at the back of Batman's head impatiently. "You gonna interrogate me now?

Batman turned to him.

"Tell me who Lex Luthor was having you target, and what he was doing with all the kryptonite he had you steal."

Dick wrinkled his nose. Seriously, that was what they wanted to know? Wow, okay then. He had been expecting questions on what the League didn't know, not what they did know.

"Uh, I kill Luthor's enemies," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "And he studies the kryptonite, tries to make weapons out of it, most likely to kill Superman. But it's not like you didn't know either of those."

Batman narrowed his eyes.

"Some of your targets had absolutely nothing to do with Luthor, yet you still killed most of them. Why were they targeted?"

Dick glared at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I kill who I'm ordered to. How should I know why Lex wants them dea-"

"You know."

Okay, this wasn't good. He couldn't let the Justice League find out that Luthor was answering to the Light.

"I kill who I am told to," he repeated. Batman glared at him harder, but Dick met his gaze fearlessly.

"Your parents wouldn't approve."

And ooh, again with the low blow! Dick flinched at Batman's words, because, yes they were true. There was silence for a minute.

"You were trained by Slade Wilson, Deathstroke the Terminator." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Dick neither denied nor acknowledged it.

"Why were you trained?"

Dick shook his head- that was an obvious question, too.

"I was trained to be Luthor's assassin. There is no other reason." At least, that he knew of.

"Why do you kill?"

"Lex tells me to."

"Do you _like_ to kill?"

Dick frowned. He'd been backed into a corner again. He struggled to keep his face neutral and didn't answer.

Batman continued.

"What is Luthor planning?"

Yeah, like he'd tell him that. He kept his mouth firmly shut and returned the Bat's glare with one of his own.

They glared at each other for what seemed like forever before Batman moved a hand to his head, touching a communicator there.

"Go ahead, Superman."

Dick watched as he listened intently for a second before nodding.

"I'm on my way."

He turned and moved to exit the room. In the doorframe he paused and turned to glare at Dick one last time.

"This isn't over."

And then Dick was left alone.

He lay there for a second before pushing all the doubt and pain away. He had no time to be questioning himself, he needed to get back to Lexcorp.

Slowly he twisted his body, dislocating both of his shoulders with loud pops. He wince but continued to turn until one of his hands rested on the buckle of the leather restraint holding his right arm down.

Dick chuckled as he unbuckled the arm and freed the rest of his body.

Never underestimate an acrobat.

**_Line Break_**

Hacking into the computer and giving himself access to the zeta tubes had been easy, even without his hologlove. It had only taken a second to locate his equipment as well.

Getting his stuff and getting to the zeta beam was going to be the hard part.

He was sitting in the air vents, peering through a grate down into a storage room where his stuff was. A green lantern, Hal Jordan, he remembered, was there, along with Hawkgirl. They were showing no signs of leaving soon.

Dick sighed and silently removed the grate. Looks like he was doing this the hard way. He couldn't wait any longer for them to leave, any moment someone could discover that he had escaped.

He was a split second from leaping down and attacking with the element of surprise when the alarm rang, piercing whines echoing through the space station. Hawkgirl and Green Lantern both looked up, startled.

Crap, they saw him.

He only had half a second to react as Hawkgirl charged into the air towards him, her wings spread and mace held high. He leapt into the air to avoid it, coming down on Green Lantern's head and knocking him to the floor.

Hawkgirl whipped around and flew at him again, and this time one of her wings clipped his ribs as he dove aside, sending him into the wall.

Green Lantern was off the ground now and in the air as well, using flight to their advantage. They came at him from both sides, and Dick dodged a mace and a giant green claw with acrobatics, racing for the door.

Retrieving his weapons was now impossible with two heroes in the room. Dick switched objectives. When he escaped, his equipment could be replaced. All he had to do was get to a zeta beam now.

There was shouting from behind him, and he heard wingbeats- Hawkgirl was in pursuit, bearing down on him. A quick glance backwards showed that Wonder Women had joined her.

He felt a small twinge of fear at the sight of the two powerhouses behind him, and then he ran out into the main room.

A very inappropriate word escaped his lips as he sprinted right out into the middle of a ring of League members: Zatara, Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, _and_ the Flash.

And the two lovely ladies behind him, couldn't forget _them_.

Yep, he was screwed.

That didn't stop him from trying, though.

He used Captain Marvel as a springboard, flipping over the heads of the surprised Leaguers. An arrow shot towards him and Dick twisted in midair to avoid it, landing and immediately rolling to avoid a giant baseball bat from Green Lantern.

"Mih dnuora sepor ek-" Zatara started to say, but Dick dove at him and knocked him to the ground. He could feel Martain Manhunter attempting to get into his head, but he used the same trick he had used on Miss Martain, remembering his parent's deaths, and the telepath couldn't do anything. He was almost to the zeta beam, so, sooooo close-

A flash of crimson color was the only warning he got before he was knocked to the ground so hard that he saw stars. Dick struggled to get up, but his arms and legs refused to cooperate, and his head wouldn't stop spinning. He could only halfheartedly scoot away as a giant green claw closed over his torso and lifted him into the air.

Eh... oh well. He tried.

**_Line Break_**

He was marched back to the room from before and placed back in the restraints unceremoniously, except this time they left him with a guard. Aquaman stood in the room behind him, arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face. He didn't speak, so Dick didn't either.

It didn't take very long for Batman to return. The Dark Knight strode into the room, his cape billowing out behind him.

He got straight to the point.

"You got out of the restraints, hacked the watchtower, and nearly managed to escape despite half the League being on your tail."

"Yep," Dick smirked, popping the 'p'.

Batman looked as if he was making a painful decision.

"As you are younger, though still extremely dangerous, you will not be sent to any a normal prison. You have two options. The first is to remain here at the watchtower under guard by the League."

Dick frowned.

"Well, that doesn't sound very fun. What's my other option?"

"Community service."

"Wait, what?"

"You can serve the community as a hero and work for the Justice League."

Dick scoffed.

"And the League would accept me just like that? I doubt it," he said.

"No... there is a team. One of younger heroes who run covert operations outside of the Justice League. You would be supervised at all times, and certain...precautions would have to be taken should you decide to join them."

Dick shuddered. These so called "precautions" didn't sound too fun. But... it was better than being stuck in this stupid watchtower. And he could always find a way to escape.

So he sucked in a deep breath, glared at Batman, and spat, "Fine, I'll do it. I'll join your stupid team."

This was going to be interesting.

A/N: Sorry for the wait on this one, I hate interrogation scenes. Hope this works for you guys! And 150 reviews, YOU ALL ARE THE BEST!


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Yes, I realize this chapter should have been divided into two. Yes, I was too lazy to do so**.

Yeah, Dick found out what Batman's "precautions" were.

A freakin' inhibitor collar.

Around his neck.

Sure, it was slimmer and a ton less clunky than the ones that were used on criminals, but _seriously_!

"You know this isn't going to work on me, right?" he grumbled as Batman clipped the stupid thing onto his neck. Batman straightened.

"No," he replied. "But the shock feature will. Step out of line, and you know what will happen."

"Jeez," Dick muttered. "You really don't trust me. Doesn't an assassin's word mean anything nowadays?"

Batman didn't look amused, and Dick pouted, following the Dark Knight to the zeta tube.

Zeta tubes were nothing like boom tubes at all. While the boom tubes had been sudden and painful, the zeta tubes were quiet and almost nice-feeling as he stepped through into another room just in time to see Superboy get thrown across the room by a blond women that he recognized as Black Canary.

Dick tried to hold it in, he really did, but a snigger escaped his lips, turning into a full on laugh.

Superboy whirled to face Canary, growling in frustration.

"You're angry, good," she instructed. "Now try to channel that anger-"

Superboy didn't wait for him to finish, throwing himself forward with a roar. Black Canary skillfully flipped over him and dropped to the ground, sweeping Superboy's legs out from under him and sending the kryptonian crashing to the floor. Dick managed to muffle his laughter this time, but only just, ignoring the glare Batman sent his way.

The clone stomped to his feet, ignoring Canary's offered hand.

"That's it," he snarled, turning away from her. "I'm done."

Canary put a hand on his shoulder that was quickly shrugged off.

"Training is mandatory," she insisted, but before an arguement could commence, Batman stepped forward.

"Team," he began, and the young heroes turned to listen, all gasping in surprise when they saw Dick standing next to him, arms crossed and a grumpy look on his face. Weapons were drawn and battle stances were readied, but Batman held up a hand.

"Calm down," he said. "Renegade has agreed to help us by joining your team."

There was silence for a moment, and then the room exploded.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S JOINING THE TEAM?" Wally screeched. "THAT GUY'S A KILLER! DO YOU HONESTLY EXPECT US TO-"

"Batman, surely this is too much? How do you expect us to work with him, he is an assassin, and not to be trusted-"

"Him? He could have hurt M'gann, he shouldn't be allowed to-"

"Batman, are you sure about this?" Black Canary said above the protests of the younger heroes. "I trust you, the League trusts you, but is this really-"

Dick stopped listening to their shouts and instead focused on the soft presence that he suddenly felt in his mind. It wasn't invading like last time, instead it hovered at the edge of Dick's conscious, almost like it was asking to be let in.

To be completely honest, the soft touch reminded him of his mother.

Dick turned to look at Miss Martian carefully, cocking an eyebrow, before he let her in- not into his mind, but just so much that they could communicate.

"_You're confused_," was the first thing she thought, and Dick sent her a mildly confused look.

"_What makes you say that_?"

"_I've been in your head before- not right now! It was before, when we... attacked you... Sorry about that... but I could tell. You don't know what to do anymore_."

Her raw honesty and innocence surprised Dick, and he stared at her kind face for a second.

"_Aren't you angry, mad at me?" _he asked, expecting rejection. "_I've killed a lot of people_."

She shuddered at his words.

"_Yes_," she answered, averting her eyes from his. "_But... I don't think you meant it... I- I saw things, when you pushed me out of your head before... terrible things, memories of pain, and blood-_" She took a deep breath before continuing, "_I saw those people... Luthor? And... and Slade? They hurt you. They were making you hurt others, you didn't know any better. After your parents... you must have been so confused-"_

"_Don't speak of my parents!_" Dick hissed over the link, and was surprised when she recoiled mentally and physically, a fearful look on her face. He took a moment to calm down.

"_Sorry_," he apologized. "_I just... don't like to talk about it."_

She nodded, understanding in her eyes.

"_You don't want to go back to them, the people who made you an assassin, do you,_" she whispered mentally.

"_No_," Dick confirmed softly, because it was true. He hadn't wanted to be an assassin, all he had ever wanted to do was be an acrobat with his parents- and that was impossible now. A sudden wave of sorrow overcame him, and Miss Martian winced as it traveled to her from him.

"_But you don't want to be here, either,_" she continued, and Dick nodded slowly.

"_I don't have anywhere else to go,_" he said simply, and Miss Martian's face softened.

Suddenly Kid Flash was in between them, waving his arms around frantically.

"Hey, HEY! Were you having a conversation in your head with _him_?" he shouted, jabbing a finger towards Dick and glaring at the martian.

She gave him an indignant look.

"Yes, I was," she huffed, and Wally's arm-waving grew even more frantic.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" the speedster screamed. "HE PROBABLY TAINTED YOU WITH HIS CREEPY-ASSASSIN THOUGHTS! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE-"

"Kid Flash, enough."

Batman had spoken quietly, but the entire room froze when he spoke. Kid Flash was silent, his mouth quickly closing.

"Renegade has agreed to be a part of this team to attempt to make up for his previous faults. He _will_ be included on your missions. If he attempts to escape or attack any member of the team, you have the League's permission to use this."

He handed a small device to Aqualad that Dick realized was the control to the collar he was wearing. A small twinge of nervousness traveled through him, and he tried not to think about what would happen if the Atlantian pressed the button.

He would find a way to deactivate the collar soon, though, so it wasn't his top concern.

The death glare that Wally was sending his way was another story, however.

He considered himself lucky that Roy wasn't there. He was pretty sure he would be shot full of arrows if he had.

Batman was still glaring.

"Renegade is now a member of this team. There will be _no_ arguments. Understood?" Batman didn't wait for the team to nod in reluctant agreement, instead continuing.

"Five hours ago, a new menace attacked Green Arrow and Black Canary. The attacker was capable of studying then duplicating the powers and abilities of its opponents. Arrow called in reinforcements, which was disastrous, as our foe gained more and more power with each combatant." As he spoke, a holoscreen was pulled up and showed clips of the League battling their opponent.

Dick glanced at Black Canary and frowned when he saw bandaging on her arm, no doubt cased by this new enemy.

"Whoa. One guy with the powers of the entire League?" Kid Flash exclaimed quietly, eyes widening almost comically.

"In the end, it took eight Leaguers to defeat and dismantle the android," Batman continued, and Dick glanced up at him, startled.

"An android?" he asked, "Who made it, T.O. Morrow?"

The team was all staring at him, odd mixtures of anger and confusion on their faces (except Miss Martian). Batman also seemed momentarily thrown off.

"...Good guess, Renegade," he finally said, "But Red Tornado doesn't think so."

Huh. From what he knew, Red Tornado was an android as well. That left one person-

"The technology has the signature of Professor Ivo." A steady voice said, and Dick flinched at the voice, reaching for a belt that was no longer there.

Martian Manhunter? How come he hadn't noticed him before?

"Ivo?" Aqualad questioned, disbelief strong in his voice. "But Ivo's dead!"

"No, he's not," Dick said, crossing his arms as their gazes all fell on him again, surprise from the older Leaguers and anger from the younger. "You pick stuff up as an assassin," he continued for explanation, smirking at Kid Flash's boggled look.

Batman glared at him in a way that seemed to promise another interrogation after this was all over (not like Dick would tell him anything, no matter how much he hated training with Slade and Luthor) before turning back to the team.

"To make certain this threat has been permanently neutralized, we're sending two truck carrying the android's parts to two separate Star Labs facilities in Boston an New York for immediate evaluation." A holomap outlining the routes in red appeared. "Every precaution is being taken. We'll have four additional decoy trucks to create confusion, in case Ivo, or anyone, tries to recover the remains. You will split into undercover teams to safeguard the _real_ trucks."

Dick snorted under his breath. Batman thought this ragtag group of teen heroes could defend one of Ivo's androids?

"Yes!" Kid Flash cheered, momentarily forgetting to look angry. "Road trip!"

Superboy growled.

"So now we take out your trash?" The way he said it indicated there was some kind of argument going on about that subject, but Batman stayed as steady as ever.

"You had something better to do?"

Dick snorted again as Superboy looked away in frustration.

A sudden beeping caught the team's attention, and Aqualad held up a device, obviously the source of the sound. For a second Dick thought it might be the controller of his collar and he inwardly panicked for a second before realizing that it was merely a GPS.

"Coordinates received," he confirmed, studying the small screen. "On our way." They began to move out, but Batman raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks.

"Renegade is joining you. Ensure that he does not cause trouble," he growled, casting a meaningful look at Aqualad that obviously meant "use the collar if you have to". Aqualad nodded as Dick sent a fierce glare at the Dark Knight, but Batman was unaffected.

Kid Flash gaped at Batman.

"You don't seriously think any of us trust him enough to let him join a mission, do you?" he yelped, and Dick lifted an eyebrow. If he was in their shoes, he wouldn't trust himself, so he didn't know what Batman was doing.

"Actually," a timid but courageous voice spoke up, "I trust him."

Dick's eyes widened in surprise at the kind smile Miss Martian casted his way and hesitantly returned it. Wally looked like his eyes were going to bulge out of his head.

Batman nodded once and pulled Dick's Renegade belt out, along with his hologlove. Dick happily accepted them, well aware of the team's uneasy movements and Aqualad's not-so-subtle moving his finger onto the control of his collar.

"What, no sword?" he asked, pouting at Batman, and Gotham's protecter gave him such a cold stare that he backed up a step. "Okay, okay. Just wondering..."

He flashed a cocky smile at the team, grinning when they all flinched.

"So. Who's my partner?"

**_Line Break_**

Turns out he had been paired with Superboy.

He was well aware of the team's readiness to drop him at a moment's notice. Aqualad kept his hand firmly near the collar remote, and Kid Flash was nearly vibrating in nervousness. Superboy seemed distracted and could _possibly_ be taken out, but one rummage through his returned belt showed that Batman had taken anything important, including his kryptonite.

For now, he would play along. An opportunity would come.

He had been given a plain black and silver biking outfit and a motorcycle with matching colors. It was classy, but not really his style, and Dick resolved to paint it a different color if the team wasn't afraid to let him use paint in fear that he'd turn it into a bomb or something.

Well, he could, but he didn't have the right equipment.

They were positioned behind a group of trees just beyond the clearing where the Justice League was loading up the trucks. Most of the team was making an effort to not interact with him, except Miss Martian, who happily chattered away about Earth customs or something. Dick wasn't really listening, but she didn't seem to mind.

There was the sound of heavy engines revving and then the trucks they were following pulled into view. Dick followed Superboy's bike, turning onto the road. His eyes scanned for an escape instinctively, despite the fact that it was hopeless- at one word from Superboy over the comms they had been given, Aqualad would activate his collar.

He was really starting to hate the stupid thing.

The two teams split up at an intersection, leaving Dick alone with Superboy. They drove for a few minutes in silence before Dick decided that silence was overrated. He pulled up alongside Superboy as they rode.

"So, if dislike is the opposite of like, is disaster the opposite of aster? See, instead of things going wrong, they go right!"

Superboy glared at him from under his helmet, not saying a word. Dick frowned.

"Uh, clearly, you're not feeling the aster." He knew it wasn't his place to ask, and that Superboy was more likely to punch him than answer, but he asked anyway. "What's wrong?"

He was surprised when the half-kryptonian answered spitefully.

"Canary. I mean, what business does she have teaching combat skills to a guy with super strength?"

Dick smirked. So that's why he was in a bad mood.

"Taking down stronger guys is part of the job. Canary probably learned that the hard way. I did too, remember how easily I took you guys down?"

Okay, so it probably wasn't a good idea to tick off a kryptonian, but Dick didn't really care, watching as Superboy revved his bike and sped farther in front of him, out of earshot.

Eh, whatever. It wasn't like he was ever going to be friends with any of the team, anyway.

They drove in silence for a few more minutes before Aqualad's voice came over the communicator.

"Renegade, Superboy! Our truck is under attack!"

"Kind of figured!" Dick replied, then jumped in surprise as dozens of little green monkey androids flew out of nowhere and attached themselves to the truck, giggling.

Wait, android monkeys could _giggle_?

"I hate monkeys," Superboy growled, and suddenly the truck began to swerve from side to side, panicked screams coming from the driver up in front as the robots swarmed the truck.

"Wow, robot monkeys!" Dick chuckled. "Totally Ivo's tweaked style!" He reached down and pressed a button on the bike (one of the features Batman had showed him) and the back half of his bike broke off, leaving him riding on a one wheeled motorcycle. The back half flew up into the air.

"Hey, hey, switch your ride to battle mode!" Dick called to Superboy, curious to see what his did, but Superboy didn't move.

"No point," the clone snarled, and leaped off of his bike onto the truck without one glance behind him. The now riderless bike rolled off balance, headed straight for Dick, and he was forced to leap off like his partner had to avoid a collision.

"Or not!" he yelped, activating his grappling hook in midair and swinging onto the truck, taking out a monkey with a well placed kick as he grabbed onto the back of the vehicle. He could hear Superboy tearing metal apart above him.

Dick kicked out twice more, sending monkeys flying backwards. The back end of his bike flew behind, lasers shooting out and destroying more of the androids, but it wasn't long before the androids caught on and leapt for the hovercraft, knocking it out of the sky.

Superboy let out a cry of pain from above and suddenly he was _way_ above, being carried by four monkeys up into the sky. He was clutching his eyes and roaring in anger.

The giggling beasts dropped him in the middle of the road, and Dick cursed as his limp figure got farther and farther away.

Okay, guess it was up to him then.

He drew a shruiken from his belt and slashed at a robot next to him, feeling a surge of satisfaction as it sparked and fell onto the road below. He climbed up onto the top of the truck and drew his escrima sticks.

Slade had been quite insistent on him learning to wield almost every weapon known to man, and although he preferred his sword, Dick was just as efficient with the escrimas. He twirled them expertly and leaped into the fray, whacking monkeys ashe handspringed forward to clear the roof of the truck.

Dick turned to face more giggling robots and readied himself, but before he could attack Superboy was suddenly there, landing on top with a massive thud that threw Dick off his feet. He nearly tumbled off the truck but barely managed to steady himself.

The kryptonian flailed about blindly, and suddenly the truck began to swerve again. The monkeys had taken out their tires.

Dick suddenly remembered the poor driver of the vehicle, who had to be terrified out of his mind. Normally he wouldn't mind a little civilian casualty, but perhaps he could find a way to escape. He poked his his head down and glared at the terrified man.

"Get out!" he shouted, and he seemed to utterly terrified, so Dick opened the door himself and grabbed the guy, leaping off the truck and landing in the corn field just as the truck began to roll.

They skidded along for a moment before stopping, and the driver was moaning in pain, clutching at his leg.

"Can you stand?" Dick asked him, hoping he could so that he could go look for an escape route, but the man shook his head. Sighing, Dick supported him as he stood and began to trudge through the corn back to the road.

He set the guy down just as several monkeys flew overhead carrying the cargo, the android pieces. Dick glared after them for a second before a loud roar caught his attention.

Superboy pushed the truck off of him and rubbed at his eyes, staring after the giggling robots with a wild look in his eyes. He growled and leaped after them, soaring over Dick's head and ignoring his calls. Dick groaned as he disappeared in the distance.

"Aqualad to Renegade, we've lost our cargo. Did you-"

"It's gone," Dick huffed into the comm, "and so's my partner!"

The meaning of his words took a moment to sink in for both of them, and Dick jumped as his collar sparked dangerously. Aqualad's voice was suddenly cold.

"Do not attempt to escape, assassin," he hissed, and Dick growled.

"It's not like I could do anything with you holding the trigger to lightning me up," he snarled, and Aqualad ignored him, instead calling Superboy.

Dick stopped listening to the rest of the team's conversation, instead walking across the road towards one of the fallen monkeys. He glanced at it and was surprised to see a tiny opening in the metallic body- one that he could hack into. He jumped back into the conversation.

"...except for the part about us not knowing where to look!" Kid Flash was whining, and Dick sighed.

"Maybe we do," he interrupted, kneeling down by the robot and plugging it up to his hologlove with a cord. "We'd have heard by now if the decoy trucks had been attacked" he mused out load, typing frantically to decode the android's systems. "So how did these monkeys know exactly which trucks to target?" He successfully hacked in and grinned as the information came up on his hologlove. "Ha! The parts have GPS! The monkeys can track the signal, which means I can track them with the one I captured. Looks like both sets are converging... on... Gotham city."

Great, home of the Bat. This was just getting better and better.

"That far south?" Aqualad exclaimed, "M'gann and I won't get there anytime soon. I'm sending Kid on ahead to meet you. Aqualad out." Dick could hear Wally complaining in the background before the connection was disabled.

He picked up the creepy little robot monkey and slung it over his shoulder, standing. He surveyed over the road and wreckage in front of him before pressing a button on his wrist computer. Obeying his commands, his now one-wheeled bike revved up in the distance and zoomed towards him.

"Definately a disaster," Dick muttered to himself, absent-mindedly fingering the stupid collar, "heavy on the dis."

**_Line Break_**

He was driving down the highway, Gotham's skyline in his sight. It brought up bad memories- death and blood and beatings- but he had no choice in the matter, as Aqualad had pointed out by nearly frying him with the collar.

Suddenly there was a whizzing noise beside him, and he glanced over to see Kid Flash on his left, easily keeping pace with his bike. He was in his uniform instead of the biker outfit, just like Dick was.

"So, you changed too," he said conversationally, eying the spandex, and the speedster shot him a glare so fierce that it made him wince and turn his attention back to the road.

"Ooookay then, you don't want to talk about it. Would saying I'm sorry help?"

Wally glowered.

"You betrayed my- our trust. Roy and I... no. Sorry just won't cut it!" He put on a burst of speed, surging ahead of Dick.

It didn't take long to slow down enough for Dick to catch up.

"You still tracking those parts?" he growled, shooting Dick a hate-filled look, and Dick refused to snap at him, instead glancing at his hologlove.

"They were heading through Gotham, but they veered," he replied curtly, not meeting Kid Flash's accusing gaze. "They're at a school called Gotham Academy."

They sped ahead in silence for the rest of the ride.

The school was nice and huge (probably for rich kids), and Kid Flash zipped on ahead as Dick leaped of his bike, following the trail of damage into a large gym.

"Yoink!" Wally said, zipping across the floor and grabbing Superboy, rescuing him from the massive android's grasp and depositing him on the ground near Dick.

The young assassin let loose a shruiken towards their opponent, but Amazo (that was what it was called, Dick remembered) avoided it easily enough.

"Martian Manhunter," it deadpanned, and suddenly Dick's shruiken went right through it, crashing into the wall behind and exploding.

"Access: Red Tornado," Amazo said, and suddenly gusts of wind filled the room, lifting Amazo off his feet and into the air.

Dick bit his lip, glaring at the robot. He got the feeling Amazo wasn't going to be easy to take down. His assassin senses were tingling.

Amazo suddenly charged them, and all three were thrown back in different directions. Dick landed nearly on top of Superboy and it took a second to scramble to his feet.

"Access: Captain Atom," he heard, and turned his head to see Wally barely dodge out of the way of a blast of energy. The speedster tried to escape by racing behind the bleachers, but Amazo rotated, anticipating where Wally would reappear.

"Access: Black Canary," the android said, opening it's metallic mouth and letting out a sonic screech that made Dick wince and reach up to cover his ears. Kid Flash fell backwards and skidded across the gym floor with a skidding noise, grunting in pain at the impact. Next to him, Superboy charged the robot.

"Superman," Amazo continued, lifting one hand and catching Superboy's punch easily. He threw the half-kryptonian backwards and he flew over Dick's head.

This was not going well.

Dick unleashed two shruikens at Amazo, but it reached out an arm impossibly far, swiping the objects out of the air. The droid lashed out at him next, forcing him to roll to the side as Amazo's super long arm crashed into the ground where he had been standing a moment before.

Through the dust, he heard: "Superman", and then Wally screamed in pain- the sound pierced through Dick's head and cut through to his very soul (because despite the whole "assassin-betrayal-killer" thing going on right now, Wally was still one of his best and only friends).

He whirled, preparing to do _something_, he didn't know what, when a familiar noise met his ears- an arrow being released. The dust was clearing now, and he could just make out Amazo with Wally in a crushing-bear hug, and then the arrow was streaking towards them-

"Martian Manhunter," Amazo said, and Wally fell through his arms as the arrow flew through the android's head. It landed near Dick's feet, and he stared at it for a second before shaking off the shock and turning back to the matter at hand.

Superboy was flying through the air, crashing into the bleachers as a result of one of Black Canary's moves, and ooh that looked like it hurt. He couldn't keep a smirk from his face, though, and tossed another handful of shruikens.

Amazo turned almost nonchalantly and glared at him with robotic eyes.

"Superman," he droned (or was it "it"?), and suddenly his eyes were turning red, and Dick felt a stab of panic because _oh crap heat vision this stupid robot has heat vision_-

And then Wally was there, tackling him to the ground out of the way of the lasers that surely would have killed him.

They scrambled up from off the ground, and Dick locked eyes with the speedster.

"I thought you were mad at me," he suggested, raising a questioning eyebrow, and Kid Flash narrowed his eyes at him.

"I am," he spat. "But... I don't want you dead."

Dick blinked at him.

Suddenly Ivo- Ivo? Since when had he been there? was talking.

"Oh, yawn," he drawled in a voice that made Dick want to stab him, "Normally Amazo would study and mimic your abilities during battle, but what's the point? You're all such poor copies of the original." The robot monkeys at his side giggled.

Dick wanted to protest, because he wasn't anyone's copy (well, maybe Slade's or Luthor's, but he was pretty sure Ivo wasn't referring to _them_), but before he could Superboy smirked.

"So everyone keeps saying," the clone snarled, and suddenly he was shouting-

"It MAKES ME ANGRY!"

He leaped across the room in a massive display of anger, soaring across the gym and slamming his fists into the bleachers had been a moment ago. The android builder was running away, the coward, and Superboy whipped around to go after him.

"WANNA SEE ME CHANNEL THAT ANGER?"

Kid Flash was staring up at them in horror.

"Great, he's gone ballistic again!" he exclaimed, and Dick smirked.

"Maybe not..."

Superboy was attacking again.

"Amazo, protect your master, priority alpha!" Ivo cried, sounding slightly frantic as he dodged a hefty blow, and Amazo turned.

"Captain Atom," he said, and shot a blast of energy at Superboy.

Meanwhile, Ivo's monkeys were starting to fly him away, and Dick was having none of that. He raced towards the fleeing mechanic.

"Anyone wanna play keep away?" he crowed as he kicked Ivo out of midair, sending him skidding across the floor.

"Ooh, ooh! Me, me!" Wally yelled, speeding past Amazo. The android looked conflicted.

"Access: Superman," he said, stomping his foot on the ground and sending a shock wave after Kid Flash, stopping him from reaching Ivo.

Dick threw another shruiken, and Amazo avoided it by going to Martian Manhunter mode again, but before he could recover, Superboy put his head through his fist. The android's head solidified around his fist, and sparks flew from the breach.

Amazo's head exploded.

Dick was up and running before the smoke had even cleared.

"Help me disassemble him!" he yelled to no one in particular, and Kid Flash and Superboy followed him.

"Dude, the guy has no head," Kid Flash spat, venom in his voice, and Dick sighed. Apparently the speedster was back to holding a grudge.

"Don't take any chances!" a voice said from behind them, and Dick turned to see Aqualad and Miss Martian finally joining them. Miss Martian flew to Superboy and began to speak, but suddenly Dick's assassin senses were tingling again.

Ivo.

Dick whipped around and saw the coward creeping away from the room. He didn't hesitate, he _pounced_.

Ivo saw him coming and tried to go faster, but Dick knew he would never be able to escape now. He brought out a razor sharp shruiken- it wasn't a sword, but it would have to do- as he tackled the inventor to the ground and moved to swipe the weapon across his throat-

And promptly dropped it as hundreds of volts of electricity suddenly shot through his body.

He screamed, hands reaching and tugging uselessly at the collar around his neck as he fell to the ground, his vision flickering. He was dimly aware of Ivo making his escape behind him, but he could barely move, much less stop him.

When the torture finally stopped he wearily stared up at the team crowding around him. Aqualad's finger was on the button of the collar remote, and they all had pained expressions on their faces.

"I...-" Aqualad stammered, "I- I did not want to do that." He shifted uncomfortably. "But you left me no choice."

Dick coughed, struggling to stand and making it to all fours.

"Why-" his voice was raspy, "Why'd you stop me? Ivo got away!"

Aqualad stared at him sadly.

"But we do not kill, my friend," he explained slowly, and Dick turned his head away from them, struggling to his feet.

Slade's teachings were going to be very difficult to overcome.

He followed the others back to the bioship without another word.

**_Line Break_**

"The Amazo android is in pieces again, safely being analyzed at the two separate Star Labs."

They were back at the team's base, standing before Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Green Arrow, and Martian Manhunter. Aqualad was making his report. Dick truly hated debriefings. He stood on the edge of the group of protégées, arms crossed and looking down at his feet.

"Ivo escaped, and since he originated the tech, he's arguably more dangerous than the android."

Dick snorted.

"That loss could have been avoided, if you had just let me take him out. I had him!" he muttered angrily, fully aware that his voice was still raspy from the electricity. He received glares from the other occupants of the room.

"Capturing Ivo will be a League priority," Black Canary said, uncrossing her arms from where they had been across her chest.

"But we understand your mission encountered... other complications," Martian Manhunter interjected, staring at the team. The sidekicks glanced at each other.

Batman stepped forward.

"Complications come with the job," he said. "Your ability to handle them, has impressed the League."

Superboy looked up.

"The whole League?" he asked, and Batman blinked at him.

"Given time, yes," Batman replied, and Dick could sense some kind of hidden meaning in their words. "Kryptonians, as you know, have very hard heads."

His answer seemed to please Superboy, and the clone smiled as Batman continued.

"Of course there's no shame in asking for help, that's why the League exists. Because there's some problems even _we_ can't handle individually."

Dick smirked and stepped forward.

"Please," he drawled, staring the Dark Knight down, "If the team needed help, they'd never get the chance to ask! Look familiar?" He held up the arrow- the one from before, that he'd snatched up before they had left. He wasn't sure what he was expecting- outrage from the team, yelling, he dared to hope maybe they would be angry enough that the League didn't trust them that they'd all quit- but all he got was quiet shock.

"You were following us," he hissed as Batman took the arrow from his hands. "Babysitting! I mean, I get it if you don't trust _me_-" he threw in a cocky grin here, "-but I thought you trusted your sidekick squad more than that!"

Green Arrow took the new arrow and pulled out one of his own from his quiver, comparing them. The blades were shaped differently, the shaft on Green Arrow's was longer.

"We didn't follow you," Batman said, and Dick sighed.

"That's... not your arrow," he said, blinking. He heard Kid Flash snort behind him.

"Wait! That must mean it was Speedy!" Wally suddenly blurted out, and it was Dick's turn to snort, because he had fought Red Arrow enough to know that this arrow definitely didn't belong to him.

"He has our backs!" Aqualad exclaimed, and Dick wanted to say it obviously wasn't Roy but he kept quiet at the way Green Arrow was examining the arrow. Kid Flash zipped forward and snatched it up in his grasp.

"Souvenir!" he said happily, and Dick rolled his eyes. Batman and Green Arrow exchanged a glance. Dick raised an eyebrow. Oh, something was going on here, and he was going to find out.

Batman moved forward and approached him.

"Come with me," he said, and Dick followed, through the mountain.

"What did you do that Aqualad was driven to use your collar?" the Dark Knight asked. Dick didn't ask how he knew, because Batman knew everything.

"I tried to kill Ivo," he grumbled, and Batman nodded once without comment.

They stopped in front of a room and Batman opened the door, revealing a semi-nice bedroom with no windows, but a comfortable looking bed.

"This will be your room," Batman explained. "Miss Martian and Superboy stay here, their rooms are down the hall. The door magnetically locks at night, and your equipment will be confiscated when you return from missions."

Dick looked over at him to see he had a hand outstretched, and begrudgingly gave up his belt and hologlove. He didn't try to sneak anything- Batman was too good to fool like that.

He entered the room and flopped down on the bed as Batman stood emotionlessly in the doorway. He pulled his face out of the pillow and glared at the Dark Knight.

"Is that all?" he huffed, and Batman turned to leave, but before the door closed with a magnetic click, he said one more thing-

"The air vents are also sealed."

_Dang it!_

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up. Hope it's long enough to satisfy your needs for now. I had lots of fun doing this one! I'll go through a couple of the actual episodes before I continue with my storyline- the one I'm really excited to do is Bereft...the things I could do... *cackles evilly* **

**Updates will unfortunately be a lot slowly now, sorry about the long wait for this one. School's starting, and the chapters are getting longer... so sorry 'bout that. **

**So, Dick's staying at the mountain because as much as Batman wants to trust him, he doesn't completely yet, and neither does the team, so Bruce can't let Dick come to Wayne manor. **

**Oh gosh, there was something else I needed to say... It was important, too... but I forgot it. Oh well.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews! I love you guys, you help inspire me to write another day! Oh, and to the one person who wondered if I was going to use a collar on Dick... internet cookies to you, you were right! That's all for now, guys!**


	19. Chapter 19

The next day, Dick woke up and instinctively shot upright, launching into training mode and beginning his stretches. He was about halfway through them when he woke up enough to realize that he _wasn't_ at Lexcorp, and Slade _wasn't_ about to yell at him for not completing the task fast enough.

Oh, yeah. He was with the sidekick squad.

That didn't make him feel any better, however, and he cautiously moved towards the door, half expecting Batman to appear at any second and glare at him. The Dark Knight didn't, though, and Dick was surprised to find that the door was unlocked.

He opened the door slowly and poked his head out into he empty hall. No one was there, so he stepped out and began to make his way through the mountain.

There were only two entrances he knew of in the cave, the first one being the zeta tube (which he could only use when Batman authorized it and he couldn't hack it since his hologlove had been confiscated), and the bay doors in the hanger that only Red Tornado could open. He wandered aimlessly through the halls for a few minutes, absent-mindedly tugging at his collar as he did so.

He finally came across a gym, and was surprised to see a set of parallel bars in the corner, looking basically unused. He stared at it for a second before all but soaring over to them in excitement.

It only took a minute to chalk up his hands and bandage them, but it seemed like too long, and by the time he was onto the bars he was almost trembling with excitement.

It wasn't a trapeze, but it would do.

Slade never allowed him to use any device that could remind him of his parents. He was never given a reason why, but he had learned fairly quickly not to ask questions where Deathstroke was involved. But the mercenary wasn't here right now.

He flipped and spun to his heart's content, enjoying the brief feelings of weightlessness and freedom. The bars creaked under his hands, and his muscles trembled from the strain (he hadn't done this in _so_ long), but he didn't care.

Dick was so wrapped up in his flight that it took him a while to notice Superboy.

The clone was standing near the door, and Dick nearly fell off the bars in surprise. He managed to right himself and hung from the bar, peering at the clone from his upside down position.

Superboy stared at him.

He stared at Superboy.

"So," Dick said, breaking the awkward silence, "do you need something?"

The kryptonian blinked at him.

"No," he answered gruffly. "I was just wondering if it was normal for humans to get up this early."

Dick sent him a baffled look.

"Why?" he asked, "what time is..." he trailed off as Superboy pointed at the clock above the door that Dick hadn't noticed before- the time was 4:23.

And Dick had been working for about an hour.

"Oh," he said quietly. "Uh- no, it's... not technically what people call... normal... but, erm- it's normal for me."

Superboy nodded, as if that explained everything, and then turned, disappearing down the hall. Dick shook his head, puzzled by the odd behavior, and returned his attention back to the bars.

A few hours later, he had moved from the bars to the weights to the punching bag, which he was busy pounding into dust. The clock read 7:12 when suddenly the faint smell of smoke caught his attention.

Slightly worried, Dick began to follow the trail of smoke to the kitchen, where Miss Martian was peering through a thick black cloud to attempt to see what was in the pain. She perked up when he walked in.

"Good morning, Renegade!" she chirped, and Dick wanted to scowl at her because it definitely _wasn't_ a good morning, but he managed a small smile. Right now Miss Martian was the only person on the team who didn't hate his guts.

"I made breakfast!" she said, plopping a charred _something _onto his plate, and he inwardly sighed as he glanced at her hopeful face.

Only years of nerve control training stopped him from making a face as he chewed the odd _thing_, and it was worth it to see M'gann's happy face once he managed to finish the whole thing off. Superboy stalked by.

"Oh, Superboy! I made breakfast, do you-"

"Not hungry," he answered bluntly, and Miss Martian's demeanor suddenly changed.

"Ah- alright. Okay, that's fine," she whispered, and Dick sighed.

"So," he said. "Is there any way out of the mountain besides the zeta beams?"

"Recognized, Aqualad, B01."

"Not one that she, or any of us, would share with you, Renegade," Aqualad stated calmly but sternly as he walked into the room, drops of water falling off his skin as he moved. Miss Martian hopefully offered him some "breakfast", but Aqualad politely shook his head.

"No thank you, I ate in Atlantis," he explained. "And I will have to report you to Batman if you continue to press the members of the team for answers."

Dick glared at him.

Miss Martian piped up.

"So, guys, I really think we should go down to the beach today!" she said cheerily, and Dick frowned.

"I don't think I'm allowed," he said. "And plus, wouldn't people be surprised to see a kid with an inhibitor collar on the beach?"

Aqualad "hmmed" thoughtfully.

"I believe it is a good idea, Miss Martian," he encouraged. "Renegade can come so long as I am there." Dang, that meant he still had the collar's controller on him. "And there is a nice little cove by the side of the mountains that civilians never visit. It would be a good team bonding experience, despite the fact that Kid Flash is at school."

Dick wanted to protest, but Miss Martian and Aqualad were all for it, and Superboy caved in with an explosive, "Fine", so Dick really had no choice.

They were headed for the beach.

**_Line Break_**

"Pleeeeeaaaaaaaase, Renegade?" Miss Martian pouted, sticking out her lower lip and giving him the puppy dog eyes.

She was wearing a bright yellow bikini, and was waist deep in ocean water, staring back at Dick on shore. He crossed his arms stubbornly.

"No," he hissed, glowering at the rest of the team. "I am not getting in the water."

He had been bullied into a blue and red swimsuit by M'gann, and had a white tee-shirt on as well. Aqualad and Superboy were in the water already, having a splash war that Dick couldn't quite tell who was winning. Aqualad was sending massive waves at the kryptonian, but Superboy seemed completely unaffected by the water.

"Come on, you know you want to!" M'gann tried again, and Dick wrinkled his nose.

"No, I don't," he insisted, turning away, but a sudden shout behind him made him whirl around-

A ginormous wall of water came thundering down on top of him, courtesy of Superboy and Aqualad's battle. Unintentional or not, he couldn't tell, but the wave grabbed him in it's grip and tugged him out into the water.

When he could finally stand, he did so, finding himself directly next to Miss Martian and completely drenched. The Martian wasn't even attempting to hide her mirth, instead giggling nonstop at his apppearence. Aqualad was doing a better job, just a hint of amusement shining in his eyes, and Superboy had his usual scowl in place.

Dick stood there in shock for a split second before stripping off his tee shirt and growling, smirking at them. He tossed the shirt to the shore.

"Oh, it is _so_ _on_."

So what if he was going up against a Martian, a Kryptonian, and an Atlantian?

He would show them no mercy.

**_Line Break_**

It was about midday when they decided to take a break.

"Guys, I'm starving!" Miss Martian announced, pausing in her attack on Superboy, and the rest of them all froze as well.

"Now would be a good time to roast the hot dogs," Aqualad said with a smile, beginning to rise out of the water. Superboy and M'gann followed them, and Dick trailed in behind.

Dick grinned as he stepped out onto the sand behind the team. For a moment, while they had been playing in the water, he had almost forgotten he was a prisoner and that Aqualad could shock him into unconsciousness at any second, and he thought they had, too.

The group headed straight for the tiny grill that they had set up earlier. M'gann levitated several hotdogs onto the bars.

"Now we wait!" she cheered, the others grinning at her excitement.

"Can't wait, Miss M," Dick said, turning his back to the team to grab his towel, and suddenly he heard them all gasp.

He froze.

Oh, great. He had forgotten his scars. That was why he hadn't wanted to take off his shirt, he knew they would see... in the water they had been hidden, but now, in the sun, they were fully visible.

Long and ugly white scars crisscrossed on his back, from his many whippings for failures and mouthing off. And that was all the team could see...

Knife wounds, bullet wounds, burn marks, and fading bruises were scattered all over his chest, shoulders, and legs, all gained from training, missions, and contracts- but mostly from punishments. A small 'S' was carved into his skin just above his heart as well.

Dick slowly turned around, facing the team. Shocked expressions were on each of their faces, and they all seemed at a loss for words. For a long moment that seemed to last forever, no one said anything.

"Renegade..." Aqualad finally whispered in awed horror, "how did you come by those scars...?"

Miss Martian's horrified expression changed to understanding, and Dick remembered that she had seen what Slade had done. He kept his face emotionless.

"Training," he answered. "Mistakes, foolishness... _punishments_." He said the last word barely above a whisper. The team was still silent, as though they were expecting more of an explanation, so Dick gave it to them.

"Luthor and Slade do not accept failures, or rebellion of any kind," he said in a flat tone. "And their training was impossibly harsh. They took me in when I was nine, I couldn't fight them through all that pain at such a young age! The beatings, the whippings- what was I suppose to do?" His voice was borderline hysterical, and he felt like he was trying to justify himself to these... sidekicks- trying to make them understand-

But that didn't make any sense, because he was loyal to the Light and would always be, what did he care if these pathetic heroes thought bad of him-

He was loyal to the Light, he _was_!

Was he?

Did he _want_ to be?

The intense conflict in his head made him want to scream, and he saw Miss Martian flinch as his warring emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

Aqualad was struggling for words.

"We... I- I am sorry, my friend."

My friend?

Did Aqualad consider them friends, even when the Atlantian was holding the trigger to the one thing that was restraining Dick the most, that stupid collar?

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Renegade!" Miss Martian burst out, looking close to tears, and Superboy didn't say anything but his expression did soften to one of concern rather than a scowl for once.

Dick brushed off the combating thoughts.

"Thanks. Hey, the hotdogs are gonna burn, Miss M!" He didn't know what else to say, but apparently it was clear enough that they dropped the subject, returning to the hotdogs.

"Hey!" M'gann suddenly burst out, "Who wants to play volleyball?"

**_Line Break_**

The rest of the afternoon they spent playing volleyball and burying Superboy in the sand (which took a lot longer than it sounded). Eventually they returned to the cave and suited up on Batman's orders, meeting in the mission room.

It wasn't long before Batman's reason to gather in the mission room became clear.

The zeta beam lit up, and two figures became visiblee, stepping out of the vortex and into the mission room. Green Arrow and-

"Team, I'd like to introduce you to your new teammate, A-

"Artemis," Dick breathed, stepping forward and inturrupted the Dark Knight. She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Renegade," she confirmed, and their eyes locked.

Assassin body language is very difficult to read unless you are one. Asssassins, including Dick, had a sort of "ready-to-jump-into-a-fighting-stance-if-you-are-a-threat" stance, that wasn't really a stance but more of a tensing of muscles. This "ready" stance could tell you a lot about your opponent- if they favored a weapon, who they were trained by, and if they were injured.

Dick's own stance showed that he favored a sword but didn't require it to deal out some damage, and the way he tensed show Deathstroke's training.

Artemis's was different, mostly because she stood like she was (obviously) use to a bow and arrow, but it also looked like she could handle a sword as well. She showed training from the League of Assassins, which wasn't surprising considering who her family was.

They stood there for what seemed like forever, reading and challanging each other, until Dick relaxed slightly- not completely, but just enough so that his body language read "I-won't-try-to-kill-you-if-you-don't-try-to-kill-me". She did the same, and they both fully relaxed at the same time.

The entire exchange took less than three seconds, and for a second Dick wondered if Batman had seen it, since his eyes narrowed, but then he spoke.

"You two know each other?"

Artemis laughed and Dick grinned, both remembering a previous encounter where Sportsmaster and Slade had basically sent them to kill each other (they hadn't listened, but it was an interesting experience nonetheless). Since then, they had developed an odd friendship of a sort.

"Yes," Artemis answererd for both of them, and she stepped forward, offering her hannd to shake Renegade's. He shook her hand firmly.

"Good to see you again, Artemis," he said, and she smiled. It made sense now- the arrow from last mission had been hers! Why hadn't he thought of that earlier?

"Likewise."

Suddenly the zeta tube lit up again.

_"Recognized, Kid Flash, B03."_

"The Wall-man is here! Now let's get this party start- oof!"

Everyone turned just in time to see Wall, in a yellow and red swimsuit, trip and go sprawling across the floor. An umbrella, cooler, chair, towel, and CD player went flying, and a beach ball went bouncing across the room past Batman and Red Tornado.

Everyone froze.

Wally looked up from where he had fallen. His sunglasses were askew, and there was a dab of sunscreen on his nose.

"-ted..." Kid Flash finished weakly, turning bright red. Beside him, Artemis smirked.

"Wall-man, huh?" she said in a mocking tone. "Wow, love the uniform... what, exactly, are your powers?" Dick resisted the urge to snigger.

Wally untangled himself from the umbrella and stood, approaching the group.

"Uh, who is this?" he asked, glaring at Dick as he passed.

"Artemis, your new teammate," the blond archer answered, and Wally grinned halfheartedly.

"Kid Flash. Never heard of you," he continued, and suddenly Green Arrow stepped forward, putting a hand on Artemis's shoulder.

"Uh, she's my new protégée," he explained. Kid Flash looked up, eyes widening.

"But what happened to your old one?" he exclaimed, and then the zeta tube activated yet again.

_"Recognized, Speedy, B06_."

"Well, for starters, he doesn't go by Speedy anymore." Roy said, stepping out of the golden light. "Call me Red Arrow." He surveyed the assembled group and glowered when his gaze fell on Dick. "And what is _he_ doing here?"

Dick pretended that Roy's accusing tone wasn't hurtful and returned the glare.

Green Arrow stepped forward, a smile on his face.

"Roy," he greeted. "You look-"

"Replaceable," Roy spat, moving into the group.

"It's not like that, you told me you were going solo!"

"So why waste time finding a sub?" Roy growled. "Can she even use that bow?"

Dick saw Artemis's gaze harden.

"Yes, she can." she hissed, storming over to the older boy and glaring at him.

"Who are you?" Wally blurted out suddenly, and Dick narrowed his eyes, wondering what they were going to reveal.

"I'm his niece," she said hurriedly, at the same time Green Arrow said, "She's my niece."

Dick made a "tch" noise.

"Another niece?" he questioned quietly, smirking, but a fierce glare from both green-claud archers and Batman prevented him from saying anything else. Obviously they wanted to hide who she really was, and Dick wasn't going to question it. Everyone had the right to have secrets.

Especially assassins.

"She is not your replacement," Aqualad stated firmly, approaching Roy. "We have always wanted you on this team. And we have no quota on archers."

"And if we did, you know who we'd pick," Kid Flash said. Dick frowned at him and glanced at Artemis, glimpsing the hurt flashing across her face for a brief moment before it was gone. Wow, that had been a little harsh...

"Whatever, Baywatch," she drawled, striding forward. "I'm here to stay."

Roy turned to leave, but was stopped.

"You came to us for a reason," Aqualad said, stepping in front of Roy carefully.

"Yeah, a reason named Dr. Serling Rouqette," Red Arrow said, and Dick blinked. He recognized that name...

"Rouqette? She's a nano-robotics genius who teaches at Royal University in Star City!" he said, glancing at Batman for confirmation as the Dark Knight pulled up a holoscreen with the woman's information on it. "She vanished two weeks ago!"

"Abducted two weeks ago," Red Arrow corrected, refusing to look at Dick stubbornly. "By the League of Shadows."

Dick shared a stealthy look with Artemis, who's expression momentarily showed panic before she calmed herself.

"Whoa, you want us to rescue her from the Shadows?" Wally asked. "Hardcore!"

"I already rescued her."

Dick grinned at Wally's crestfallen face. Shut down!

Roy strode over to the holo display.

"There's only one problem. The Shadows had already coerced her to create a weapon." He pressed a button and a new display flew up, displaying a bug-like robot and a container of some sort.

"Doc calls it the Fog. Comprised of millions of microscopic robots. Nanotech infiltrators, capable of disintegrating anything in their path. Concrete, steel, flesh, bone... But it's true purpose isn't mere destruction. It's theft. The infiltrators eat and store raw data from any computer system, and deliver the stolen intel to the Shadows. Providing them access to weapons, strategic defenses, cutting-edge science and tech-"

"Perfect for extortion, manipulation, powerhousing... yeah, sounds like the Shadows.", Artemis interrupted.

Wally put his hands on his hips.

"Like you know _anything_ about the shadows," he challenged, and Dick bit down a laugh when Artemis smirked knowingly at him. Kid Flash's smug expression changed in an instant.

"Who are you?" he yelped, and Dick smirked. Would't he like to know.

"Rouqette's working on a virus to render the fog inert.

"But... if the Shadows know she can do that, they'll-"

"They'll target her," Roy interrupted, and Dick huffed in annoyance. Seriously, he got that Roy hated him, but come on!

"Right now she's off the grid," Red Arrow continued. "I stashed her at the local high school's computer lab."

"You left her alone?" Green Arrow exclaimed in a horrified tone, and Roy glared at him.

"She's safe enough for now," he growled.

Green Arrow walked towards Roy.

"Then let's you and I keep her that way."

Red Arrow shot him an increduous look.

"You and I?" he said dangerously. "Don't you want to take your new protegee?"

Green Arrow almost continued but stopped when Batman placed a handd on the the archer's shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. Reluctantly Green Arrow turned back to his former student.

"You brought this to the team," he forced out. "It's their mission, which means it's hers now, too." He gestured to Artemis as he spoke.

"Pfft. Then my job's done," Roy scoffed, storming towards the zeta tubes. They watched as he went by.

_"Recognized, Speedy-"_

"That's Red Arrow, B06," Roy growled. "Update."

Then he was gone in a flash of golen light.

Then team stood in stunned silence for a moment before Batman grabbed their attention back.

"Well?" he said. "You have your mission."

Aqualad nodded, and they ran for the bioship.

**_Line Break_**

They arrived at the high school and distributed into different groups to guard Dr. Rouqette. Dick was paired with Kid Flash (much to the speedster's annoyance), and the two of them were standing in the main hall of the school to watch the entrance.

"Miss Martian, link us up. We do not want the Shadows intercepting our comms."

Following Aqualad's command Dick felt the soothing prescence of M'gann in his head.

_"Everyone online?"_ the Martian asked.

_"Ah, this is... weird!"_ Artemis gasped out.

_"And distracting," _said Dr. Rouqette, her unfamiliar voice grating in the mind link. _"Coding a distributed virus on a kiddy computer with less RAM than a wristwatch is hard enough. Now I have to hear teen think in my skull?"_

Dick wrinkled his nose. Her voice was really annoying...

_"Lady, do you always complain when someone wants to help you?"_ Kid Flash asked from next to him, munching on a granola bar.

Artemis was thinking next.

_"Pot, kettle. Have you met?"_

_"Hey, hey! I do not need attitude from the newbie who threw Red Arrow off the team!"_

_"That is so not on me!"_

_"Fate of the WORLD at stake?"_ Dr. Rouqette interrupted, but Wally and Artemis continued.

_"She started it!"_

_"How about I just help Miss Martian and Superboy patrol the perimeter," _Artemis huffed.

_"Good idea,"_ Aqualad said. Dick was surprised to hear that he sounded quite fed up with the arguing as well. He normally had more patience when it came to this sort of thing.

_"You might cut her some slack,"_ Dick thought to Wally quietly. _"It was her arrow that saved your butt against Amazo."_

Kid Flash almost choked on his granola.

_"What? No! That was Speedy's- I mean, Red Arrow's arrow! Right?"_

_"Mmm, not so much."_

_"Huh. Well, still not giving her the satisfaction! And what do you know? You're just a crazy assassin who's betrayed everyone he's ever known, why should I listen to you?"_ Dick jerked back, recoiling from his mental assult.

_"You know I can still hear you," _Artemis reminded, and Wally's eyes widened. He smacked his forehead.

"Argh!" he groaned out loud. Dick didn't pity him at all. What did he mean, Dick had betrayed everyone he had ever known? No he hadn't-

Well... technically... but it still hurt for someone to say it.

_"I couldn't get the Justice League," Rouqette complained._

_"The virus won't be of much use if we cannot find the weapon. Can you track it?"_ Aqualad asked her.

_"My utility Fog is not a weapon!"_ she suddenly defended. _"It's science, brilliant science, and of course I can track it! But I'd have to go online. We might as well rent a billboard with this address and "assassinate me" written in neon!"_

Dick smirked. That would have been helpful if he had still been an assassin.

There was a short pause where no one said anything into the mental link. Then:

_"We will protect you,"_ Aqualad promised, and his voice was steady and firm.

_"...Tracking Fog now."_

Dick sighed as the waiting game began. Kid Flash was fidgeting all over the place, having finished his food, and it was starting to make him edgy.

_"Mmm... that boy..."_ Artemis crooned, startling everyone.

_"He can hear you! We can all hear you!"_ Miss Martian protested, and she sounded very, very jealous...

_"Oh, I know..."_

Dick groaned. Two jealous girls fighting over one kryptonian was _not_ what they needed right now.

_"Miss Martian, Dr. Rouqette has located the Fog. Reconfigure the bioship so that Superboy and Renegade can pursue," _Aqualad instructed.

Dick stretched in a display of flexibility before striding towarads the door. That was his cue.

He burst outside and followed Superboy into the bioship, plopping himself down into one of the seats and smiling as the martian ship took off.

He loved flying.

**_Line Break_**

The mind link got fainter and fainter the farther they flew away, and soon the presence of the others disappeared completely. He and Superboy flew in comfortable silence towards Philadelphia, where the Fog had been located.

Dick leaned back in his seat, watching out the window as the bioship flew by.

"I know what it's like."

It took him a second to realize that the clone had spoken.

"What?"

"I know what it's like," Superboy repeated. "To not have a choice."

When Dick still didn't understand, the half-kryptonian blinked at him.

"What you said on the beach," he explained. "About how they controlled you. You didn't have a choice. I understand."

Dick smiled at him- a true smile, not his usual cocky smirk.

"I suppose you would, wouldn't you," he replied softly. "CADMUS... they didn't give you a choice, either. But you escaped."

"You could, too," Superboy said. "You could escape, too."

Dick lifted a hand and fingered the collar around his neck (it was a habit now).

"I don't know," he sighed. "Everywhere I go there's something that holds me down, something that wants to control me."

Superboy stared at him.

"It doesn't have to be like that. Join the team. That's what I did."

Dick laughed bitterly.

"It's different," he sighed. "Right now I'm here because you captured me, and I haven't found a way to escape yet. I don't..." he began to struggle to find the right words. "I don't necessarily... _want_ to escape... tch, it's a lot better here than what Luthor and Slade put me through, even with the collar- but if I don't go back to them they'll punish me more... and they _will_ find me. There's no doubt about it. They will find me, and they will take me back. If I go back, it will be less painful for everyone. He'll kill you if he has too, and he won't hesitate."

Superboy was silent as Dick spoke, and scowled.

"We'll protect you."

Dick grinned ruefully.

"Thanks, Supey, but I doubt there's anything you can do to help. I'm loyal to Luthor and the..." he almost said "the Light", but stopped himself just in time, "...the guy who trained me. I have to be. I still have no choice."

The clone raised an eyebrow.

"We'll see," he grunted, and then they descended into their comfortable silence once again.

A few minutes later they were approaching their destination- the Star Labs in Philadelphia. As soon as they came into view both Dick and Superboy gasped in surprise.

Star Labs was crumbling.

Dick tapped his communicator.

"Renegade to Aqualad. We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadow's next target, Star Labs." He looked back towards the destroyed building. "We're too late. It's destroyed, totally destroyed! The Fog decimated it!"

This was not whelming. Not whelming at all.

"This is bad... Star Labs was cutting technology and now all their secrets are in the hands of the enemy!" he continued. He shared a concerned glance with Superboy before questioning, "What's our next move?"

Aqualad replied immediately.

"Rescan for that Fog," they heard him order. "Find it. We're moving the doctor."

**_Line Break_**

It seemed like forever, but the coordinates for the next attack were finally located and transmitted to Dick's hologlove. He studied them carefully before climbing into the iot seat of the bioship and heading straight for area.

"The next target's a Wayne Tech facility!" he informed Superboy. He remembered his previous encounter with Bruce Wayne and groaned. Something seriously wasn't right with that guy... he was definitely hiding something. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he muttered. "This Wayne dude has so many secrets... It would be seriously bad if the Shadows got access to them..."

"What kind of secrets?" Superboy asked, and Dick shook his head.

"I don't even know exactly," he confessed. "But it doesn't matter. What _does_ matter is that from what I know, Wayne Tech operates on a 24\7 work force. We'll never evacuate the building in time!" He pushed the bioship faster, and it responded to his command, streaking forward.

The bioship hovered above the Wayne Tech parking lot, and Dick ran to the door, Superboy hot on his heels. They stood there for a moment, wind blowing Dick's cape to the side. A small ping from his computer made him glance up at the display.

"It's downloading!" he shouted, fighting to be heard over the wind, and suddenly Superboy stilled, eyes fixed on something on the ground.

"Don't need it," he grunted, and suddenly leaped from the ship.

"Superboy!" Dick yelped, feeling a sudden sense of deja vu- this was just like last mission, where the kryptonian had abandoned him! And also like last time, the clone payed no attention to his cries, falling down towards the earth. Dick watched his form get tinier and tinier as he went.

All of a sudden, a red laser shot from one of the parked trucks below and struck Superboy head-on, sending him flying backwards. He crashed into the ground.

The Fog was released.

"No!" Dick yelled, leaping after the death cloud and grappling across the parking lot. He landed just outside the building and sprinted inside, leaping through the hole the nanobots had chewed in the door and dashing down the hallway.

The security guard at the desk yelled something after him as he passed, but Dick didn't care, continuing after the Fog. Alarms began to blare, and ahead of him a heavy grate began to close.

Oh, crap... this was so not good...

He put on a burst of speed, diving forward and barely clearing the grate, but when he scrambled to his feet to continue running, something held him back-

He twisted to see that his cape had been caught in the grate. Without a second thought he loosened it from his shoulders, abandoning it in the hallway, and began to run again.

He followed the Fog into a cafeteria and was relieved to see a computer on the counter. A young woman, probably the cashier, was standing near it. He dashed over and plugged his holocomputer into the computer.

"What's going on?" the girl asked. "What are you doing?"

Dick didn't answer her.

"Please be linked to the mainframe, please be linked to the mainframe..." he muttered, activating the virus and frantically typing, trying to send it into Wayne Tech. It was going _far_ too slowly for his taste, and the Fog was buzzing over his head... pieces of the ceiling were falling all around as the cloud devoured the building-

_Access Granted_.

YES!

All around him the dark clouds were turning an odd maroon color and dropping from the air.

"Yes! The infiltrators have been outfiltrated!" he crowed, grinning as the women poked her head out from under the desk where she had been hiding and gave him a strange look.

Suddenly he remembered something.

Uh-oh... he hoped Superboy was okay.

He grappled outside and found Superboy standing over a body. For a moment he thought the man was dead, but then he let out a moan as Superboy nudged him with his foot.

"You got him?"

Superboy gave him the "uh, duh!" look, and Dick grinned. "Asterous."

Just then, his comm beeped, and Aqualad's voice sounded in his ear.

"We have apprehended two of the Shadows, and although one escaped, Dr. Rouqette is safe. What is your situation?"

"Mission acccomplished!" Dick told him, and was surprised to see Superboy give him a rare smile.

Maybe, just maybe, something would work out. Maybe Slade wouldn't find him. Maybe he wouldn't have to kill anyone ever again.

Maybe.

A\N: Sorry about the ending, I didn't know what else to do with it. And I know this chapter isn't that exciting, but Robin doesn't really do anything in this episode anyway, so... sorry.

Okay, a few things about this chapter: Aqualad is B01 because Robin doesn't exist yet. In the actual show Robin is B01, but since he's Renegade now he won't be his normal number.

Another thing- I'm probably not going to write out Artemis and Renegade's encounter. I don't know how I could work that in unless it was during Homefront, and I still don't know how it would fit in. And I had Slade and Sportsmaster pit the two against each other because if you've seen season two, Deathstroke and Sportsmaster _really_ don't like each other... so yeah, that happened.

Also, someone said that I had Artemis in the story already, and I went back and looked- you were right! I accidentally put her in chapter 15 out of habit! I will go back and fix that as soon as I post this chapter.

Someone asked me if they could do a one-shot based on my story. Here's my thing- If you want to do a one-shot or fanart or whatever, awesome! I'm completely cool with that, go ahead! You don't even have to ask permission, do it! Just don't write anything that's completely different from what the actual story is, and mention the actual story somewhere in it, and you're fine! Also, PM me if you do something like that, because I'd love to check it out!

I realized I have been neglecting a disclaimer... I don't own Young Justice. I wish I did... then there would be a season three, and Nightwing would get more screen time, because he is amazing...

One last thing. The amazing RingwraithYJLOVER did a one-shot for Luthor's Assassin, and it is the most AMAZING thing! It captures Dick's feelings perfectly! It's called "And Your Walls Come Crashing Down". Check it out, it is AWESOME! RingwraithYJLOVER, thank you so much! You're the best!


	20. Chapter 20

"You know, this would be a whole lot easier if you'd let me have my sword."

Dick was hanging upside down in a warehouse in Gotham City by his ankles, green vines holding him in front of none other than Poison Ivy herself. Batman was below them, fending off more psycho plants with a sharpened batarang.

"Concentrate, Renegade!" he snapped, and Dick sighed, twisting in the grip of the vines and slashing at them with one of his hidden knives. Ivy screeched and whipped her hand around, sending Dick flying through the air. He slammed into the wall- _hard_- and fell to the ground.

His head was spinnning, and it felt like he had popped his shoulder out of it's socket. He struggled to get up, and suddenly he could sense someone standing over him.

Dick lifted his head and bared his teeth at Poison Ivy as she approached him, vines crawling closer as she moved. The plant psycho stopped just a few feet away, and suddenly, the vines were aimed at him. Ivy laughed quietly.

"Are you ready to die, little hero?"

And then the vines plunged right towards his heart...

**Earlier That Day...**

"GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!"

Dick was cartwheeling around the room, screeching at the top of his lungs at his latest victory against Aqalad- he was now the Air Hockey King!

Aqualad blinked at him before allowing a small smile onto his face.

"You are, indeed, a worthy opponent, my friend," he admitted reluctantly, holding out his hand to shake, and Dick accepted it.

Miss Martian smiled from where she was hovering.

"Don't you want to play, Wally?" she asked, poking her head around the corner to stare at the Speedster, who was sprawled out on the couch.

"No," he huffed moodily, and Dick made a 'tch' noise.

"Wow, someone's totally not feeling the aster today."

Kid Flash refused to look at him, however, and Dick frowned at the back of his head.

"Oh, grow up, Kid Mopey," Artemis scoffed, entering the kitchen. Kid Flash glared at her, but before he could give a retort Dick sidled up to the newest member of the team.

"How about you, Artemis? Want to play air hockey against me?" Artemis cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Nah, I'm good," she replied. "I was just on my way to the training room anyway." She snatched up her quiver, slung it over her shoulder, and headed out. Dick pouted.

"Okay then," he sighed. "Anyone else up for it? Supey?"

Superboy didn't look away from his static.

"Don't know how," he grunted. Dick gasped in mock-horror, diving to Superboy's side.

"Come on, Supey!" he pleaded. "I'm bored! I'll teach you! Please?" Superboy did not appreciate his efforts and shoved him away from where he had been blocking the static. Dick grunted from his position on the floor.

"M'kay, so Supey's a no go, too. How about you, Miss M?"

M'gann looked like she was going to answer when suddenly her eyes widened and her gaze fixed on something behind him-

Dick didn't think, he just reacted on instinct. Someone was sneaking up behind him, he needed to attack before he got a knife in the back, now now now move move move-

He whipped around, lashing out in a massive kick towards the intruder, instinctively reaching for a belt or sword. Before his attack could hit, however, and while his arms were still grasping for weapons that were't there, suddenly his foot was intercepted in mid-air and flung around. A heavy arm pinned him to the wall.

There was only one person in the world who could do that besides Slade, and that person was...

Oh crap.

"Renegade," a gravely voice spoke into his ear, and Dick winced.

"Umm... Sorry?" he tried meekly, and Batman relaxed his hold, glaring at him suspiciously. Dick turned back towards the team and narrowed his eyes when he saw their hardened faces. Aqualad had his finger on his collar controller, and Dick swallowed nervously.

Sometimes the team forgot that he was an _assassin_. A prisoner. Someone who was willing to kill.

But Batman never forgot.

And neither did Kid Flash.

"Renegade," Batman repeated. "I need to speak with you. Alone." Then the Dark Knight turned and walked away, cape swishing dramatically as he went. Dick stood there for a full second before realizing that Batman expected him to follow, so he did.

Batman was waiting for him outside the room.

"Renegade," he began, and Dick raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"Batman," he mocked, but the Dark Knight ignored it.

"You have potential," he said. "There are a lot of things you could accomplish if you wanted to."

"What, as a hero?" Dick scoffed. "I think we both know that I'm not quite cut out for that kind of stuff.

"No. But your skills are extremely valuable. And we both know that you don't really want to go back to Luthor."

Dick took a deep breath to calm himself. Of course Batman would be able to see right through him. He was the world's greatest detective, after all...

"Fine, so I don't," he snapped. "But that doesn't mean I want to stay here with _you._"

Batman nodded.

"The League understands that," he said. "But until we agree that you've worked with the team enough to repay your debt, you might as well make the best of it."

Dick wished his logic wasn't logical.

"And how, exactly, would you suggest I do that?" he drawled, and suddenly, his belt was thrown at him. He caught it in surprise.

"Wait-"

"Come with me," Batman said, and he headed towards the zeta beam. Dick blinked, once, twice, and then a grin broke out on his face. They were going somewhere? Maybe he could escape-

But the Dark Knight seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. Without turning around, he reached into his belt and pulled out a second controller for his inhibitor collar.

Well, there went that idea.

Dick huffed in annoyance and stalked over to stand next to the older hero as he began to program the zeta beam.

"So, where are we going?" he asked.

"_Recognized, Batman, 02."_

_"Renegade, G1."_

"Gotham," Batman answered, and then they were swept up by the golden light.

**_Line Break_**

Gotham... Dick really didn't know what to think of it yet.

His grappling gun had been returned along with his belt and gloves, and it almost felt like he was on the trapeze again- soaring between the buildings effortlessly under the Dark Knight's watchful eye, with the wind in his face and the adrenaline racing through his veins. The view was pretty nice, too, he thought, from the top of the tallest building.

But despite that... the city was darkened, dying. There was something _wrong _with it. You could almost _see _the fear of the few people that were out this late as they rushed to safety.

It was all very _dis_turbing, and Dick didn't like it one bit.

He landed on the roof of a skyscraper, with Batman right behind him. He considered attempting to escape, but with the controller in the hands of his baby-sitter, that probably wasn't the best idea.

He freakin' _hated_ that thing.

Suddenly there was a cry from below, and Dick turned to look for the source of the sound. Batman tensed as well. Dick scanned the streets below, and suddenly he saw the cause- two men were dragging a young women into an alleyway, away from the street.

_Oh no they didn't._

Dick reached for his grapple gun, anger flooding through his body. They were going to pay. Before he could fire it off and swing down to confront them, however, a firm hand gripped his shoulder.

"Don't kill them," Batman warned, glaring at him fiercely, and Dick shrugged his hand off, wilting a little under Batman's gaze.

"Who said I was going to kill them?" he shot back defiantly, and then he was soaring through the air, into the alleyway. He landed on the ground, directly behind the two men, who were advancing on the poor girl. None of them noticed him at first, so he clung to the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Please, please leave me alone!" the women was sobbing, backing away from the two men and running into the wall. The two men laughed, and one drew a knife.

"Oh, come oooooon, babe..." the second man slurred out oily. "Don't be llllllllike that..." He sounded drunk, and Dick decided he'd heard enough. He let loose a cackle, and the two men jumped, looking around wildly.

"It's the Bat!" the one with the knife hissed, and Dick growled.

"Do I look like the Bat to you?" he snarled, emerging from the shadows and watching their reactions carefully. The one with the knife blinked in confusion at him, and the other backed away in terror.

"Renegade!" he gasped out. "No, please... Don't kill me!"

Dick bared his teeth in satisfaction. Good, at least one of them knew who he was.

"Wait..." the man with the knife said. "Who's thisss? 'e's just a kid!"

The other backed away even further.

"T-that's Renegade..." he stuttered, "Deathstroke's a-apprentice..."

The man with the knife shook his head slowly.

"Well, he ain't the Bat," he said. "He's dead." And then he ran forward with the knife.

Dick almost laughed out loud at the pathetic swings of the weapon. None of them even came _close _to hitting him, and he wasn't even trying! Effortlessly he caught the man's wrist and twisted it. The bone cracked, and the man howled in pain, dropping the knife. Dick didn't even hesitate, he slammed his fist into the man's head. He went sprawling backwards and ended up on the ground, curled in a little ball around his broken wrist and sporting a black eye.

"Pathetic," Dick snorted, striding forward and picking him up by the back of his shirt. He pulled back his fist for another blow before a tiny tendril of electricity curled out from the collar, surprising him. Scowling, he put the man down as Batman landed at his side with the other man in tow, who had apparently made a break for it while Dick was... occupied. He snapped a pair of handcuffs onto both the cowering men, then turned to Dick.

"We don't kill."

"I didn't!" Dick protested, but Batman shook his head.

"You were going to."

Dick glared at him.

"It's not that easy of a habit to break, you know."

"I didn't say it was."

The young assassin snorted and turned away.

"But besides that, nice job."

Dick froze at the praise. It had just been... unexpected, that's all. Luthor's praise had always been appreciated, but when it came from Batman... it actually felt like he deserved it.

He shook his head to clear it, and semi-nervously tugged at his collar.

"Uh- what for? That was nothing," he forced out, dismissing the compliment, and he could have sworn he saw Batman _smirk_. But he ignored it and turned away as the women they had rescued hurried out of the alley, shaking.

"What's next, O great and powerful Bats?" he asked, following Batman back up to the top of a skyscraper. Batman glared at him.

"Back to the cave," he said. "The team's been called on a mission, and it's time for you to-"

A sudden beeping cut him off, and he raised his hand to the comlink in his ear.

"Go ahead," he grunted.

Dick waited impatiently while his listened into the communicator for a moment. Finally, Batman spoke again.

"Acknowledged," he said. "We are en-route."

Dick felt a surge of excitement. They were going somewhere again, and he was coming with! Then he shook his excitement away. What was he thinking? He _definitely wasn't_ excited to be patrolling with _Batman _of all people. No way. Never in a million years.

Batman looked at him.

"Coming?" he asked, and this time Dick couldn't quite squash down his enthusiasm.

"Yeah!" he chirped, and then furrowed his brow as they drew their grapple guns. "Wait- where are we going, exactly?"

"Poison Ivy has escaped from Arkham," the Dark Knight explained. "She's been located at a nearby warehouse. We're going to get her back. And," he added, "You _will not _even _attempt _to kill her. Understood?"

Dick grinned.

"Hear 'ya loud and clear, Bats!" he said, bouncing on his feet. "Now can we go already?" Batman nodded, and together they shot up into the air.

It didn't take long to reach the warehouse, and it was pretty obvious where the crazy environmentalist had taken up residence. Vines covered the entire area, writhing and wriggling around the area. Dick stared at them as they swung nearer.

Batman landed in an area clear of vines, and Dick followed him, drawing a sharpened shruiken as he did so in case any of the vines got to close. But as soon as Batman took a step forward, everything froze. The plants were still.

Dick sucked in a breath.

"I think she knows we're here," he whispered, and Batman nodded curtly before continuing forwards.

Dick picked up his pace to match the Dark Knight's stride.

"Aren't we walking into a trap?"

"Most likely."

"And... we're just going to walk in there?"

"Yes."

Dick sighed, but continued at Batman's side as they walked into the warehouse.

It was dark, and humid inside, and the vines were even more plentiful inside than they had been outside. It felt like Dick had stepped into a jungle. Suddenly Batman stopped.

"Ivy!" he called. "Come on out, it's over!"

There was a moment's pause, and then several of the vines in front of them shifted, revealing the women- scantily clad, as always. Dick narrowed his eyes at her. The plant maniac was lounging on a thick vine, waving her hands carelessly in the air as the other plants responded to her commands.

"Well, hello, Bats," she purred. "I was hoping you'd show."

Batman reached into his utility belt, but didn't pull any weapons out yet.

"Give it up," he said. "You're going back to Arkham."

Ivy froze, and suddenly stood up from the vine. She lifted her hands and the vines all turned towards them, thrashing almost violently as they did so. For the first time, she saw Dick, and blinked in surprise at him for a moment before smirking.

"Ah, Renegade!" she said, letting out a short laugh, and Dick scowled at her. "I see Batman has you under lock and key..." Dick growled this time- that was kind of a sore subject. And how did she know who he was? She wasn't one of those petty thugs who trembled at his name...

The red-head sighed.

"No matter, though. I'll crush you both. I'm not going back to Arkham. My babies need me!" Dick snorted- she called her vines her babies? Really?

But he didn't have time to dwell on it any longer, because Ivy threw her arms forward, obeying her commands and attacking.

**Back to Present Time**

"Are you ready to die, little hero?"

The vine was coming straight for him- aimed right for his heart. Dick had no doubt that it would tear right through him if it hit. And that would definitely not be good... He could hear Batman on the other side of the room, hopelessly fighting off hoards of vines, and suddenly the world slowed.

Never had he been so grateful for Slade's training as he was in that split second. The vine headed right for his chest slowed to the speed of a slug, inching forward in Dick's eyes- He reached down into his utility belt without taking his eyes off of Ivy and brought out a flare. Dick flicked it to activate it and held the flames in front of his heart right where the vine was going to hit, praying that it was going to work...

The world sped up again.

The vine that would of killed him ran right into the flare, and instead of tearing through his chest, it recoiled from the fire, knocking him backwards instead of plunging into his heart. His dislocated shoulder screamed in protest, but Dick shut the pain out, climbing to his feet and facing Ivy.

"No, I'm definitely _not_ ready to die," Dick shot back. "But you can ask me again in 80 years or so!" Ivy shrieked in rage as the vine- now on fire- thrashed around.

"My baby!" she screamed. "You hurt my baby!"

Dick smirked.

"You know, you call them your babies... who's the father?"

Ivy shrieked again and turned all her attention on him, sweeping her hand across the room to make all the vines converge on Dick. He cursed and somersaulted out of the way, and then began to put his circus skills to good use, flipping and dodging and springing all across the room. It was sort of like dancing with a large octopus, Dick thought with a grin, as the waving tendrils attacked again and again.

He fell onto his knees to avoid one vine that just barely missed his head, then did a front handspring to avoid another one. He used the next vine as a springboard, flipping into the air. From his airborne view he could just make out Batman creeping in the shadows behind the plant maniac, forgotten in Ivy's anger at the younger boy. He just had to hold out a split second longer-

_WHAM!_

Dick gasped in pain as he was smacked aside by one of the thicker vines. He had gotten distracted! He skidded across the concrete floor from the hit, creating some nasty scratches down his skin- although his gloves and armor protected him from the worst of it.

Groaning, he managed to roll aside as a vine slammed into the ground where he had been a second earlier. The plants were swarming around him, and he was on the ground, vulnerable- he didn't have time to wait for Batman to make a move now.

In desperation, he reached into his belt and pulled out an explosive shruiken. Without a second thought he hurled it into the tangle of approaching vines and did his best to dive away-

The shruiken exploded.

Dick was propelled away from the blast and hit the ground for the third time that day. It took him a moment to re-orientate himself- his ears were ringing, and he felt slightly dizzy. When he finally managed to sit up he could see flames consuming the entire warehouse.

_Oops._

Batman was suddenly in front of him, with an unconscious Ivy slung over one shoulder. He said something, and it took Dick a moment to grasp the meaning of his words- his ears were still recovering from the blast.

"Can you stand?" the Dark Knight asked, and Dick shook his head to clear it before struggling to his feet, nodding. He followed Batman out of the flaming warehouse.

Batman set the psycho plant women down and looked at Dick in concern.

"Renegade, are you alright?"

Dick was slightly surprised by the question (Slade _never _would have asked something like that) but answered anyway since his ears had finally stopped ringing.

"I'm alright, just a couple scrapes. And my shoulder is dislocated." Batman moved forward as if to help him, but Dick brushed him away. "I can do it," he hissed when the Dark Knight persisted.

Slowly, Dick formed the hand of the dislocated shoulder into a fist and took a deep breath before moving it up into a ninety degree angle. Pain shot up his arm, but he continued, rotating the arm and moving it up above his head until he felt the socket slip back into place. He unclenched his hand slowly, gritting his teeth as the pain faded.

Batman nodded in approval and moved to pick Ivy back up, and once again Dick felt a surge of pride at Batman's gesture. He didn't know why though- shoulder relocation had been one of the first medical things he'd learned. It wasn't even difficult anymore, despite the pain.

Suddenly Batman straightened and turned around, without picking Ivy up. Dick followed his gaze and gasped when he saw what he was looking at.

The fire from the warehouse was spreading, leaping across the tops of the too-close-together buildings. Dick was still staring when he heard the unmistakable sound of a grappling gun go off beside him, and suddenly Batman was soaring through the air towards a burning apartment building. Dick hurriedly drew his own and followed.

Luckily most of the people had gotten out, there was a huge crowd just outside of the building. But Dick could hear the cries of people still trapped inside, so he followed Batman in through a window on one of the upper floors.

Smoke billowed from the flames that were everywhere. Dick lifted his cape over his mouth and nose as he made his way over to where Batman was grabbing a man and a women who had been cowering underneath a table. Batman swept past him with the people, and Dick scanned the room before turning to follow. Just before he could leap out after the Dark Knight, however, a tiny cry from above made him pause.

_Someone was still in the building._

Dick took a deep breath and plunged deeper into the flaming building.

It was blisteringly hot, and Dick was forced to dive through flames to reach the steadily burning staircase. He hurdled up the steps two at a time, ignoring the fire licking at his heels. He reached the top floor in record time, leveling a vicious kick into the door to break it down.

A young girl was standing in the corner of a small room, scrunched up into a ball. She was crying in terror, and Dick felt his heart break for her. He rushed to her side.

"Hey," he said kindly, ignoring the fire, but a cough cut through his sentence- smoke inhalation was starting to get to him. He coughed a few more times. "You ready to get out of here?"

She looked up at him, relief present in her eyes, but then she turned away in fear from his outstretched hand.

"No!" she screamed. "I know you! You're a bad guy!" Dick resisted the urge to swear.

"I know, I know," he said hurriedly- he didn't have time for this! "I've done some really bad things. But you're going to have to trust me, or you might die."

She looked at him hard, and a small explosion from behind them made them both flinch.

"Fine," she sobbed, tears running down her face, and Dick nodded, scooping her up in his arms. Luckily she wasn't that heavy.

The smoke was getting to both of them now- neither of them could stop coughing. As Dick raced towards the door he had knocked down before and took a step into the staircase, he was forced to stop- the stairs were on fire, crumpling down to the ground floor far, far below.

Okay then, stairs were a no-go.

He turned on his heel and ran the other way, back through the room where he had found the girl. Pausing at the window, he looked out and was able to see fire trucks below them, with sirens blaring. But they would be of no help to him.

He shifted the girl to one arm and reached for his grapple gun for what seemed like the millionth time that night. He had no other choice- he would have to swing for it.

"Hold on really tight, okay?" he told the girl, and she nodded, tightening her grip. Dick took a deep breath and fired the grappling gun towards the nearest building. It connected, and Dick jumped.

They swung down towards the ground, and Dick grunted as the extra weight from the little girl wrenched on his arm- the same one that had been dislocated earlier- and sent pain shooting through his nerves. He forced himself through it, however- he _would not_ drop the poor girl.

He bent his knees on impact with the ground and deposited the little girl onto the ground just in front of the small crowd. It took a moment to get her hands to uncurl from around his uniform, but he eventually managed it.

"Thank you," she whispered, capturing his leg in a hug, and suddenly two cries of relief came from a man and a women in the crowd. They ran towards the little girl with arms outstretched and tears pouring down both their faces.

Dick coughed a couple times to clear his lungs as he watched the family for a moment, and suddenly a lump formed in his throat.

What he wouldn't give to have a family again.

He shook off the feelings grappled up into the air before he could be acknowledged- he wasn't sure how the family would react to a known assassin rescuing their daughter. Soaring through the air, he spotted a shadow standing on the edge of a rooftop, and swung down next to it.

"Where were you?" he complained grumpily, and Batman grunted.

"There were more people on other floors besides the two we rescued at the beginning."

"Oh." Dick coughed. "You got them out?"

He received a grunt of affirmation.

There was a moment of silence as the building continued to burn to the ground.

"Hey, where's Ivy?" Dick asked quietly, and Batman glared- not at him, just a general glare.

"She escaped," Batman snarled, and Dick winced.

"Sorry... so, are we going back to the cave now?" Dick asked, and Batman nodded, turning and grappling into the night. Dick grinned, and followed.

Upon arriving at the cave from one of Gotham's zeta beams, Dick was immediately bombarded with stories from the entire team. M'gann got to him first, chattering on and on about... magic? And something about fate? Dick didn't partiularly care, but eventually the Martian got him to sit down and listen to their story.

Dick smiled and nodded, but truthfully he was extremely tired- and covered in soot. When the storytelling was over, Dick retired to his bed after taking a shower- he was exhausted.

But truthfully... He didn't think he'd mind patrolling with Batman again.

It had been kind of fun...

**_Line Break_**

"Mr. Luthor. One of the members of the Injustice League is here to see you."

Mercy's robotic voice cut through Lex's train of thought.

"Send them in," he said, waving his hand, and inwardly praying that it wasn't the Joker. Too much of that insane clown was not good.

To his surprise, it wasn't the Joker, although it was a Gotham villain.

"Ah, Miss Ivy!" Lex said, raising an eyebrow. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Ivy didn't beat around the bush.

"I know where your apprentice is."

Luthor froze.

It took a moment before he was able to respond.

"W-what?"

"I know where Renegade is," she repeated impatiently. "He hurt my babies! And insulted me!"

Lex could hardly contain his excitement.

"Where? Where is he?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"Hanging out with the Bat, actually."

Luthor sat there for a second before his temper settled in.

"WHAT?" he roared, and Ivy looked slightly alarmed, but continued to speak.

"They had some control collar thing on him like I've heard they use at Bell Reve," she said. "Don't know what it would do for him, though, since he doesn't have any powers..."

Lex sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He _really_ hoped Renegade hadn't told the League about the Light. If he had... their entire operation was screwed.

"Thank you, Ivy," he forced out. "You are dismissed." She nodded and left, muttering about babies and how someone would pay.

The second the door slammed shut behind her, Lex groaned and pressed the button on his desk that would summon Deathstroke. This was _so_ not good. The inhibitor collar... they probably used that to keep Renegade in line. Ooh, this was so not working out in his favor.

"You wanted me, Luthor?" Slade asked, entering his office and moving past Mercy to lean against the wall casually.

"Yes," Lex stated matter-of-factly. "We know where your missing apprentice is."

Deathstroke froze for a second, his fingers clenching into fists before they relaxed.

"Where?"

"The Justice League have him," Lex said. "They're using an inhibitor collar's shock feature to keep him in line." Slade swore violently, though not for the reasons Lex thought

"We already knew the League had him!" the mercenary growled. "That's nothing new, and the collar is an insignificant detail! We need to know exactly where," he spat out through gritted teeth. Lex blinked at the sudden outburst.

"Reports of a "sidekick squad" messing with the members of the Light have come in," he mused out loud. "He could be being kept there."

Slade growled again.

"But where is that?" he snarled, and Lex groaned in frustration.

"I don't know!" he hissed, throwing his hands up into the air.

Suddenly Deathstroke froze.

"Wait... you said he was with the sidekicks?"

Lex nodded, glancing curiously at the master assassin.

"They'll most likely respond to any kind of "trouble", correct?"

Luthor nodded again, slightly impatient this time, but Slade had _that look_ in his single visible eye.

That meant he had a plan.

Slade was smirking underneath his mask.

"This is what we'll do..."

**A/N: Aaaand NOPE! Sorry, you don't get to here Slade's master plan! Sorry :) Aright, so I am so, so sorry about taking so long to update. I recently started school, so weekends are probably going to be around the time I update. Heh on the first day of school all I could think about was in the episode "schooled" where Wally's at school and it's like, "Welcome, class, to the first year (*voice cracks*) of Sophomore year," and Wally slumps in his seat and groans... XD that was totally me!**

**Okay, a couple of things about this chapter- the air hockey thing at the beginning? In the episode "schooled", they're playing holographic air hockey! That's where that came from. Also-I was thinking that the team (or most of them anyway) forgets that Renegade is a prisoner. They forget that he's an assassin,and when his assassin moments show, it catches them off guard a little. Also, the G1 stands for guest. I didn't know anything else better... and, one more quick thing- Mercy never actually talks in Young Justice, but she does, like, grunt and groan when she fights, so I'm assuming she can talk, too.**

**Okay, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll get the next one up as soon as school allows! Thanks soooooo much for the awesome reviews!**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: So, before you read this one I highly recommend that you read RingwraithYJLOVER's oneshot. You don't have to (although I don't see why you wouldn't, because it's AMAZING), but it will explain a lot of things in this chapter, and you might be confused at a couple parts if you don't. Again, it's called "And Your Walls Come Crashing Down."**

Dick decided that he hated Clayface almost as much as he hated being confined.

Which was saying a lot, actually.

They were in Gotham, in a warehouse (So cliche! Seriously, what was up with Gotham and cliches?), currently getting their butts kicked by the resident mud monster.

Wally was already out cold, having tried to create a whirlwind around Clayface and failing miserably. Even as Dick watched, Artemis was thrown into the air, covered in clay. She landed with a thud on the ground, her bow landing beside her.

_"Kid Flash and Artemis are down!"_ Aqualad yelled through their mind-link. _"M'gann, take him from above! Superboy, with me! Renegade, distract him!"_ the Atlantian frantically ordered.

Dick sent an exploding shruiken at the villain, but it went right through, and Dick had to dive to the ground to avoid a fist shaped like a spiked mace. It missed, but knocked Miss Martian out of the air. She shrieked, tumbling backwards to land near Artemis. The mind link went down.

Dick and Aqualad shared matching looks of horror before Superboy charged forward with a roar, defending the Martian. Clayface laughed, and, as the clone attempted to punch him, sucked his hand in, followed by the rest of his body.

"Superboy!" Aqualad yelled, and he too rushed forward, drawing his water bearers as he did.

Dick growled in frustration as the Atlantian blocked his view.

"Outta the way!" he called, losing his patience and launching a pair of shruikens just as Aqualad slammed his water mace into the side of Clayface's head. The monster's mouth flew open in surprise and Dick's shruikens flew right in.

There was silence for a moment, and then Clayface made a choking noise and _exploded_.

Mud and Clay went everywhere, and Superboy flew out from the mess, unconscious. He nearly landed on top of Kid Flash.

Dick and Aqualad stared at each other in relief for a second- that had been luck, pure luck, and they both knew it.

Suddenly the clay began to move, inching it's way back to the center of the floor.

"Aw, crap," Dick muttered, drawing his escrima sticks- they wouldn't do much damage, but they were all he had left- everything else was used.

For the millionth time he wished he had something electrified- a taser would be nice, but apparently Batman didn't see fit to give him that kind of equipment yet.

Clayface began to laugh again as Dick and Aqualad faced him.

"Nice try, kiddies," he boomed, "but you'll have to try harder than that!"

Suddenly Aqualad charged again, and Dick fought the urge to facepalm. Kaldur was definitely off his game today- they needed a plan, not a display of brute force. Briefly he wondered what was up before he turned back to the more important matters.

Aqualad was thrown to the ground fairly easily, and Clayface stood over him. One of his arms formed into a thin blade and plunged straight for the Atlantian's neck.

Dick's eyes widened as he saw the sword racing towards the team leader. He threw himself forward and put his escrima sticks up in an 'X', managing to catch the blade before it could hurt Aqualad.

Dick groaned at the tremendous force of the villain's attack, nearly sinking to his knees. Beneath him Aqualad rolled out from under the sword while Dick held Clayface in check. Suddenly the mud monster was chuckling again.

Clay began to creep up his escrima sticks from the blade, covering his hands and wrists. Dick struggled, tried to pull away, but he couldn't move! The clay spread faster now, covering his entire struggling form, and then he was pulled into a mass of mud and clay.

His lungs screamed for air, but the clay prevented him from opening his mouth. Struggling did absolutely nothing- every time he tried to push his way out the clay would reform around him, so no matter how he squirmed and thrashed he couldn't quite escape.

Dick was trying very hard not to panic at this point.

Stay calm, come on, stay calm... any second now Aqualad was going to find some way to save him... any minute now... NEED AIR HURRY UP KALDUR, STAY CALM, STAY CALM, CAN'TBREATHCAN'TBREATH-

A sizzling noise caught his attention and suddenly electricity shot through his body- for a second he thought it was his collar and instinctively grasped for it, but he quickly realized the lightning was coming from _outside_ Clayface, not the collar.

Without warning he was flung from the mass of mud and clay and thrown across the room. He landed next to the rest of the team, and then Aqualad was beside him, tattoos glowing. Dick realized he had used his electricity to free him.

"Are you alright, my friend?" Kalur asked, and Dick coughed once, rolling over onto his hands and knees. The effort to collapse was incredibly strong, and he could still hear Clayface roaring in the background.

"Renegade, Clayface is only momentarily stunned. My electric shocks are not powerful enough to take him out of action. Can you fight?" Dick looked up at him.

"I-" Dick tried to answer, but suddenly Clayface roared, and Aqualad stood, a determined look on his face. He drew his waterbearers and turned to face Clayface, moving out of Dick's hazy sight.

He couldn't really make out what happened next. He could hear Clayface roaring, and Aqualad shouting, crying out in pain- there was a massive thud, and a groan. Then he could hear glass shattering, an explosion and then buzzing electricity- this time more intense than before. Clayface was roaring in pain, steadily sounding weaker and weaker, before it all went silent.

He could hear muffled scuffling after that, and suddenly someone was helping him stand- he shook them off before realizing it was Aqualad. Confused, he glanced around the room and did a double take when he realized Batman was there. The Dark Knight did not look pleased.

"Wake the others and return to the bioship," he commanded. "Meet back at the cave." He turned and strode out without another word. Dick sighed as he surveyed their fallen teammates.

This was going to take a while.

**_Line Break_**

They finally arrived back at the cave and trudged into the mission room, clay covering their entire bodies. Batman was waiting for them.

"I need to talk with Aqualad. Alone," he growled as they approached. "The rest of you, hit the showers and head home."

Dick growled at his words.

"Home? I am home," Superboy muttered as he walked towards the shower room, trailing muddy footprints. Dick snorted.

"Home? I don't have a home, I'm your indebted prisoner," he scoffed as he brushed past the rest of the team, feeling their stares on his back but ignoring them and instead going to take a well-deserved shower.

When he got back to his room (cell), thankfully clean of mud, he found himself still in a bad mood. Home? _Home?_ He hadn't had a home since he was _in the circus, _and even then, they moved around too much for one single place to be home. The tent, the trailer, the shows, his parents, had been his _home, _and since none of those were an option anymore...

His feet found themselves automatically turning towards the training room, eager to work off some of his frustration. At first he was hesitant, since he _had _just taken a shower, but he needed to do something- so train it was.

He went straight for the punching bag. Normally he would go for something a little more acrobatic, but right now he just felt like he needed to hit something. Make something suffer. Then he shuddered. He sounded like Slade, thinking like that. It scared him a little.

As Dick began to fall into a rhythm, punching, kicking, dodging a fake blow, punch, punch, kick, dodge, kick- he felt himself relax slightly, able to hide his restrained thoughts in the beating of his fists. The punching bag swayed back and forth, back and forth, in an almost hypnotizing way, and for a minute Dick lost himself in the routine.

"Um... Hi, Renegade!"

Dick jumped in surprise, spinning around and reaching for his belt- oh, wait.

"Hey, Miss M.," he replied, offering a tired smile to the Martian girl. He didn't have the heart to tell her to leave, but she didn't say anything else, merely observed as he continued to punch away at the swinging bag. After a few minutes she spoke up again.

"What are you doing?"

Dick paused to answer before going back to his punching.

"Training," he grunted, landing a particularly heavy kick. She cocked her head at him.

"Why?"

Dick wanted to groan out load, but restrained himself.

"'Cause I can," he forced out, putting on a surge of power in his blows and successfully ripping the punching bag from it's hook on the wall. It flew across the room and landed with a heavy '_plop',_ sand flying everywhere as it burst open.

Miss Martian watched him as he stood there panting for a second. Dick sighed- it didn't look like she was going to leave him alone to mope. He turned to her wearily.

"What's up?"

She smiled at him softly.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay."

Dick blinked in surprise at the statement.

"Um... any particular reason why?" he asked cautiously, and she closed her eyes.

"Don't, er, be mad or anything- I didn't go into your mind, I swear! But... I can _feel_ your emotions. You're not exactly trying to hide them."

Dick cursed inwardly. Deathstroke would have been disappointed in him- but right now he didn't care what Slade thought.

"Yeah, well, we all have bad days," he said, shrugging. Miss Martian frowned.

"But... but with you, these emotions have been building up for _days. _Ever since you got here, actually."

He could feel his frustration begging to be released, to be explained. He was caged, caught, his wings were clipped. He couldn't fly anymore! And she wanted to know what was wrong...

"Look, Miss M," he sighed, "I'm just really...stressed, that's all. Don't worry about it." He turned to a bench and snatched up his water bottle, refusing to look at the Martian.

It felt like he was with Black Canary all over again*.

Suddenly there was a soft rustle in the air behind him, and he looked over to see Miss Martian floating behind him.

"Renegade? Will you help me with something?"

Dick looked at her hopeful, happy face and barely restrained a moan. There was no way he could say no to that face.

"Fine, fine," he muttered. "I could use a break anyway, I guess. What do you need help with?"

**_Line Break_**

"You know, when I said I was going to help you, this wasn't really the help I had in mind. In fact, I don't even know how this is helping you. I'm pretty sure this is _you_ helping _me_." Dick complained.

He was standing in the middle of a clothing store in the Happy Harbor mall, dressed up in civilian clothes- a green shirt and a black hoodie over it, with dark- really dark, almost black- jeans. Miss Martian was looking him over carefully, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Hmmm..." she mused, and Dick pouted. Clothing shopping had really not been on his 'to do' list, but M'gann had decided that he needed civvies. And no one argued with the Martian girl, especially since she had gotten special permission from Batman to leave the cave with him (Dick had no doubt that the Dark Knight was watching them through the security cameras right now, so he made a horrific face at the closest one, hoping Batman would get the message).

"I think it's missing something," Miss Martian said, still looking him over carefully like he was some kind of model. She crossed the room and snatched up a pair of shades.

"Try these," she commanded, giggling at his expression- but Dick still put them on. He was surprised, however, to see that he actually looked _good_ in them- and it would make him a lot harder to recognize. Plus... they made him feel cool.

M'gann laughed.

"It's perfect!" she declared, clapping her hands happily. Dick sighed in relief (and made another face at the security camera when no one was looking), as they paid for the clothes and headed out.

When they arrived back at the cave, Miss Martian turned to him, a hesitant smile on her face. She grabbed his arm.

"Now I _really_ have something I need you to help me with!" she chirped, dragging him towards the kitchen. "You can help me make cookies!"

Dick groaned. It was going to be a looooooooong day.

**_Line Break_**

The cookies were finally finished, and had been placed in the oven ceremoniously by M'gann moments ago. The green-skinned girl dusted off her hands, smiling triumphantly at their success.

Dick stayed quiet and began to wash his hands in the sink. To be honest, the entire process had reminded him way too much of his mother. It was difficult not to be swallowed up in memories.

"So, now that you're feeling better..."

M''gann's cheery voice brought him out of his misery. Feeling better? Tch, not hardly! But she didn't seem to notice.

"Now that you feel better," she continued, "do you want to talk about why you were angry earlier?"

Dick blinked. Oh, so this was about why he was angry earlier today-

All the feelings came crashing down.

He had been shoving the caged feelings to the back of his head while he was out around Happy Harbor, successfully managing to keep the emotions at bay- and now it was all coming back.

M'gann must have felt it, because her eyes widened, and she took a careful step back.

"I- I'm sorry!" she whispered awkwardly, looking at him in alarm. "I-I didn't mean to..." she trailed off nervously.

Dick took a deep breath. Talking about it had definitely helped with Black Canary...maybe it would help him now. So he bit his lip and began to talk.

"I'm stuck," he whispered. "I'm a bird in a cage- I've always been, ever since..." he trailed off, reluctant to talk about his past in front of the kind girl. Luckily she seemed to understand, and didn't press him for answers. He continued.

"Every time I get free of a cage, I find out that my wings are clipped, and I can't fly. I want to fly, I want to go free! But there's always something there, something restraining me!" He gestured to the collar around his neck. "I don't expect you to understand- you're one of the ones restraining me, really! I never asked for this- to lose my family, to be beaten every day, to be an assassin, to have to live under constant watch because you're afraid I might kill _someone_!"

He hadn't realized he was yelling until now.

"I have no home! Home, he said! Home is the CIRCUS! Home is somewhere I can never go now, because Lex Luthor snatched me up and RUINED MY LIFE! I-I..."

He trailed off. Something wet slide down his cheek. Oh, crap, he was crying. Why was he crying?

Soft arms encircled him, and for a moment he flinched, lost in the memories and almost expecting to be hit.

"L-let me go," Dick whispered in M'gann's hold. "Let me go, so I can soar again... Or at least take this stupid collar off! Please..."

Miss Martian held him quietly, and suddenly he could feel her presence in his mind- a comforting, warm feeling that calmed his shaky breaths into steady ones. M'gann squeezed him gently, and he relaxed into the hug.

"I know how you feel," she whispered in his ear, and that made Dick want to scream, because _no she didn't_, but then she continued to talk.

"On Mars, I could never find a home. I could never find a place where I was wanted. The other Martians... didn't... really... like me, and I felt just like you did. In a cage." The normally kind-hearted girl suddenly seemed very bitter.

"I couldn't take it anymore," she continued. "So I left. Came to Earth with my Uncle J'onn. I was accepted here. I was happy here." She smiled warmly at him. "You just need to find a new way to look at things."

"But I can't leave," Dick whispered. He felt like there was a lot more to M'gann's story than she was letting on, but didn't have the strength to press her for more info.

Miss Martian blinked at him.

"Maybe you don't have to leave," she said. "I left because that was the only way I could see things differently. You have other options!" Oh, there it was. The cheerful optimism that she was famous for.

"Think about it!" she chirped. "Is it better here than it was with Luthor?" Dick nodded, because _heck yeah_, it was. "And where else do you have to go?" Now Dick was getting confused. He lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Listen, Superboy, Aqualad, Artemis, and I all care about you!" Dick noticed she hadn't said 'trust'. "We want you to be on the team! All you have to do is convince Wally, Red Arrow, and the rest of the League that you won't kill, and then they'll take the collar off!" She beamed brightly at him.

Dick wanted to argue, because there were _several_ flaws in her logic- but he didn't have the heart, and her words _had_ comforted him to some extent. And her soothing presence was still in his mind, surrounding him in warmth. So he smiled at her gratifyingly.

"Thanks, Miss M," he said softly. "But, umm... Is that the timer?"

M'gann gasped once she, too, heard the high-pitched dings of the oven timer.

"Uh, hello Megan!" she cried, hitting her forehead with her palm. "We almost forgot the cookies! I hope they aren't burned!" She soared across the room to the oven and used her telekinesis to float the only slightly burned (but still edible) cookies. She looked relieved.

Dick suddenly felt someone behind him, and whirled around to see Superboy leaning against the doorframe. The clone was studying him with intense blue eyes.

Dick suddenly found himself fidgeting under Superboy's scrutiny. But before he could say anything, Superboy spoke.

"No one deserves to be stuck in a pod... or a cage," he said gruffly. "They'll come around." He nodded once before striding forward, grabbing a cookie, and disappearing back into the halls. Dick smiled and took a cookie from the tray.

He was still trapped and collared, but things could be worse.

A _lot_ worse.

**_Line Break_**

The boy was training again.

He apparently did that a lot, Batman noticed. When he was angry, when he was happy. When he was frustrated, and when he had nothing better to do.

Well, in reality he really _didn't_ have anything else to do.

Batman was on monitor duty again- covering for the Flash, who had simply said "I've got stuff to do" and ran off.

So he was stuck with it for the third time this week.

Sometimes he watched Richard- Renegade, train. He was exceptionally skilled- even more so than the few times Batman had seen him in action as a thief and as Bruce Wayne.

Since he had taken Renegade on his first patrol in Gotham, he had been wondering...

Yes, he was very, very skilled, and yes, he had been extremely helpful in taking down Poison Ivy (even though she escaped) and rescuing those civilians from the fire. Yes, maybe he could get use to working with a partner.

In fact, it was definitely a possibility.

But... yes, the boy was an assassin. Yes, he had killed before. Yes, he knew how to and did use guns. Yes, he was dangerous and could escape any minute.

But... he hadn't been given a choice. He had been what, nine when Luthor took him in? When Deathstroke started beating him? When he had been forced to kill?

At that young age... what hope did he have to resist their brainwashing?

It wasn't his fault.

If things had been different, Bruce could have ended up just like him.

Batman was watching Renegade flip and spin on the rings in the training gym of the cave when Black Canary came up behind him. He could tell it was her by the way she breathed- as if at any moment her voice would rise in volume- and by the way she walked- carefully, combat ready.

Together they watched as Renegade spun on the rings and dismounted, backflipping onto a nearby platform. He pinwheeled on the edge for a moment before he lost his balance and fell backwards. He was able to catch his fall with a quick back handspring, but his back thudded into the wall.

Then he whirled around and slammed his fist into the concrete.

Black Canary's sharp intake of breath masked his own surprise. Renegade didn't even seem fazed by the impressive crater he had just made in the wall, and instead stalked off to a nearby bench to take a break.

Batman paused the feed and turned to Canary.

"Batman," she began. "You are aware that I have been in therapy sessions with Rich- Renegade, right?"*

Batman turned back to the computer.

"I thought you refused to talk about your therapy sessions with anyone but that person," he growled. "And I wasn't aware that you had made any progress with him, anyway."

The blond woman sighed.

"I won't talk about what was discussed, but there is something you need to know," she insisted. Batman nodded, a silent signal for her to continue.

"I went to the mountain late a few nights ago to gather some papers I had left there. I found Renegade in the therapy room. He..." she looked like she was struggling to find the right words. "... he wasn't doing very well. Bruce... I listened to him pour out his soul. He's been through so much- things that no one should have to go through! And he's so young, Bruce! He's only thirteen!" She paused to take a deep breath.

"He needs _something_, Bruce. He has nothing- and you know how that feels like. _Do_ _something about it." _

She turned on her heel and stalked away.

Batman narrowed his eyes as she stepped into a zeta beam and whisked away.

He looked back up at the screen. Renegade was back at it, attacking several dummies that had been set up with ferocity. It was almost disturbing to see the look of intensity on the boy's face, and to see- oh, great. He was using force that would be lethal to an actual person.

It didn't even look like he was aware of what he was doing.

Dinah was right. Something needed to be done.

And he knew exactly what.

**_Line Break_**

Dick decided that today was a day for hitting things.

Seriously, he couldn't even keep his balance when dismounting the rings! What was his problem? Besides having a mental breakdown and being a prisoner, that was. He just couldn't do acrobatics today.

So he resorted to beating the crap out of the training dummies- for the second time that day.

_THWACK!_

He delivered a bone-shattering kick to the dummy's sternum.

_THUD!_

A skull-crushing crunch went to the dummy's face.

_CRACK!_

An elbow to the dummy's collarbone.

_THUMP! THUMP! CRA-ACK!_

A three move combo that sent the dummy to the floor, in pieces. It was strangely... satisfying. He moved on to the next unfortunate dummy.

_BAM! THW-_

His collar sparked.

Dick froze mid-attack, hands flying up to the stupid thing around his neck. He froze- what had he done this time? What had triggered it?

Slowly, he turned around to see Batman in the doorway, with the trigger in his hands.

"Lethal force is never acceptable," he rumbled, and Dick blinked in surprise. Lethal... he glanced back at the rows of destroyed dummies.

_Oh_.

The Dark Knight strode into the room.

"If you need to take it out on something... do it on me," he said, shifting into a fighting stance.

Dick glared at Batman warily, stepped away from the dummy and sliding into a fighting stance of his own. Did Batman really want to...

Suddenly Batman flew forward, an armored fist headed straight for his head. Dick bent backwards to avoid it.

...okay, apparently they were.

Dick spun and lashed out with his foot, aiming for Batman's chest. The Dark Knight blocked his leg with a forearm and moved forward, pressing Dick back as a steady flow of accurate and powerful blows began to rain down on Dick.

Alright, the direct attack would do him no good. Batman was obviously much stronger than him, and could block his head-on attacks with ease.

Time for a change in tactics.

Dick did a handspring to avoid a kick, and then cartwheeled around to Batman's left side, coming up in the perfect position to land a combo on his opponent. He got in two swift punches to Batman's ribcage before he could react, and then was forced to throw himself backwards to avoid an elbow.

They continued like this for a few minutes. Dick would use his acrobatic skills to find an opening in Batman's defenses, and would be able to get in a few hits before the opening was covered up again.

But Dick wasn't the only one who could change tactics.

One moment the Dark Knight was a couple meters away, and the next moment he was three inches away, towering over Dick and sending a fist towards his head. On instinct Dick jerked his head to the side, and he felt Batman's knuckles graze his ear.

He hadn't even seen him move! Seriously, how did he do that?

Another speed-attack sent Dick stumbling backwards. He needed a new idea, and fast.

Batman shot towards him again, and automatically Dick dropped to the ground and swept his leg across the ground, hoping to trip his opponent. It didn't succeed, but it forced Batman to halt his attack for a moment, and in the tiny second of stillness Dick shot forward with a hefty uppercut towards the Dark Knight's chin.

It was dodged, and Dick blocked the counter-attack, but the force of the blow sent him back even more than before- and suddenly his back was against the wall, and Batman was coming right for him...

Dick jumped straight up into the air. His circus skill brought him up to Batman's height, and then Dick pushed off the wall with his legs, shooting forward. As he flew towards Batman's face he swung a foot out in a massive kick-

-that actually connected.

Dick felt a surge of satisfaction as Batman staggered from the hit, but all too soon he recovered, and a Batglare was sent Dick's way. He winced at the look and then Batman was attacking again.

Before he could even react, one of his arms had been twisted behind his back, and he was pinned on the ground.

The position was all-too-familiar for him. For a moment it felt like Slade was holding him down, preparing to punish him, and Dick panicked, thrashing around for a second before reality caught up with him.

Batman released him.

"Good," he complimented, "You've been working hard. Only a few people can last that long facing me." Dick inwardly glowed at the praise.

Dick realized that this spar had been the first in years that he had actually enjoyed, despite the fact that he had lost. A sparring partner made everything more realistic and got your adrenaline pumping in excitement- that was what Dick wanted. A challenge that wasn't going to beat him black and blue at every failure.

"Why the lethal force, earlier?"

It took Dick a moment to realize that the question had been aimed at him.

"Why not?" he asked. "Why do you care? Why does it matter? It was what I was trained to do, and it's all I know."

"I doubt that."

Dick ground his teeth together.

"And what, if I may ask, is your reason for doubt? You know who I was trained by," he snapped. Batman looked at him long and hard before answering.

"Did your parents not teach you better?"

That statement hit him like a punch to the gut, because yes, they had taught him better! It was Luthor's fault, Lex Luthor and Slade Wilson, for forcing him to go against his morals and kill people!

He glared at the floor and refused to answer Batman's question.

Suddenly something bounced across the floor towards him, and he caught it without even thinking about it, before he had comprehended what it was.

_A... a basketball?_

Dick hadn't played basketball since he was in the circus!

Tearing his eyes off of the ball in his hands, he looked up to see Batman taking off his cape and hanging it casually on a hook on the wall.

"What's this?" Dick asked, meeting Batman's gaze, and he could have sworn he saw the tiniest of smiles on the Dark Knight's face as he answered, "Training", and gestured to the basketball hooked to the wall above him.

For a long moment, Dick forgot how to speak.

_Oh, why not?_

He allowed a cocky smirk to appear on his face.

"One on one?" he asked, and this time Batman really _did_ smile.

"If you think you can handle it," he replied, and Dick grinned at him.

Batman was going down!

**_Line Break_**

"Team, you have a mission. Report to the briefing room immediately."

Dick stood in surprise for a moment before grinning and heading towards the briefing room. Superboy and Miss Martian were there already (Superboy's hair was all wet for some reason- had he recently taken a shower?), and Artemis and Kid Flash rounded the corner. No words were exchanged- they were mission-ready, able to conquer anything!

Dick couldn't keep the grin from his face as he walked into the briefing room, right as Batman was speaking to Aqualad.

"...just in time for your next mission."

They gathered around Batman as he began to explain.

"The watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Biyalian desert-"

Dick could hardly contain his excitement. Escape wasn't possible, but at least here was a chance to get out of the cage.

Here was a chance for him to _fly_.

**A/N: Oh my gosh. This chapter was pretty tough to write, even with lots of help. I don't even know why... eh, it's not my best chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! :)**

**For these little * thingies: I just put them there to mark where I'm referring directly to RingwraithYJLOVER's one shot. Just so you know.**

**Hehheh, Supey's all wet at the end because this is the episode where M'gann accidentally covers him in food, and she's like, "too much at once, too much at once, hello Megan.." yeah, y'all get the point. So he took a shower.**

**Originally the spar between Batman and Dick wasn't going to happen, but I felt like the chapter** **was way too short without it, so I just added it in.**

**I feel like Black Canary would know Batman's secret ID. I don't know if she actually does or not, but I like to think that she does.**

**Huge, huge thanks to my new friend, S.S. Pie. You were so, sooo helpful in giving me ideas, thank you so much! Wherever you guys are right now, applaud for S.S. Pie! Without those ideas this chapter would not be published right now!**

**A little bit of M'gann's speech thing is mean to not make that much sense, because really, she doesn't completely understand. But sometimes just someone to talk to and be comforted by is all you need.**

**Okay, one more thing, I promise just one. Is there something you really, really want to happen in one of the chapters? Is there something specific you wanted to see? PM me guys! I love getting PMs almost as much as I love getting reviews! I'm serious! PM me your dream plot for a future episode, because for some of them I have completely no idea what to do! So chances are if I don't have anything specific planned for that episode yet I will use your dream idea! But- I do have some planned out very specifically, like Bereft, Revelation, Homefront, and Terrors (you can still send me small requests for those, but I already have the general plots for those done), and I don't want flames if I don't decide to use whatever you suggest! Please be understanding!**

**Alright, I'm done. Thanks for the reviews, guys!**


	22. Chapter 22

The first thing Dick noticed as he slowly regained consciousness was that it was hot.

Scaldingly, unbearably hot. Seriously, it felt like he was in a desert.

The second thing he noticed- he was lying in sand.

Alright then... he _was_ in a desert. Slowly, he dragged himself to his feet. His head was spinning, and it felt like he was dehydrated- how long had he been in the desert?

Wait, why was he even _in_ a desert?

Dick steadied himself on a sandstone formation with one hand as he walked, letting out a groan as he did so- dang, his head hurt! What... what had happened?

He reached the end of the rock and stood for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the blinding sun. He stared out across the desert.

A sudden cloud of dust from not so far away caught his attention. He couldn't quite identify it, and his assassin-senses were tingling, so he used his acrobatic skills to flip up to the top of the formation. For some reason, he didn't think being seen would help him.

Dick watched from his high-up position as a patrol slowly passed by- armed and armored men in trucks. They passed by his position without seeing him, but they were moving with a purpose... like they were looking for something. The uniforms looked kind of familiar...wait a second...

"Those are Bialyan Republican Army uniforms," he muttered to himself. He lifted his arm up to his hologlove and pulled up a map easily. "But what are Bialyans doing in, uh... Bialya?

Ooookay then...

"Better question... what am I doing in Bialya?"

He glanced down at the date at the bottom of his map and nearly swore.

"In _September_? What happened to March?"

Alright, something wasn't right. He doubted his calendar was off by six months, but he couldn't remember how he had gotten in Bialya... or anything recent, actually! What was going on? The last thing he remembered was fighting against Cheshire to get Lex's kryptonite! How on earth had he gotten here?

"Better radio Slade," he mumbled, lifting his hand to his ear-

And then, suddenly, his head was filled with an unwelcome memory-

_"Maintain radio silence at all times."_

Hold up... Had that been _Batman_? Why the _heck_ did he have a memory of Batman in his head? And why was he telling him to maintain radio silence, of all things?

But something... an odd feeling, one he didn't feel very often... was creeping into his head- doubt. He had the feeling that he shouldn't call Lex or Slade, and that he _should_ take Batman's advice from the memory.

But what if this all was a test?

Slowly he pressed his comm again, and Deathstroke's comm signal was located. But try as he might, he couldn't get his own signal to connect. A tiny Bat symbol kept popping up on his hologlove, along with the words, "this signal has been blocked from your device".

Dick couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing. But he couldn't stay in the same place for too long- another patrol could pass by, and he might not get so lucky next time.

He brought his hand down from his ear, and his wrist brushed against something on his neck. Startled, he struggled to twist his neck in an angle so that he could see what it was.

An _inhibitor collar_? How had he not noticed that before?

AND WHAT WAS GOING ON?

Was this Slade's new favorite way to punish him or something? He spent a second trying to pry it off, with no luck.

And where was his sword?

Scanning his surroundings just in case, Dick jumped down from the sandstone structure and onto the ground. Something fluttering in the soft wind caught his attention, and he grabbed the scrap of cloth- black, with a red 's' on it, very similar to Superman's symbol.

Dick wasn't really a fan of Superman. He narrowed his eyes and allowed the cloth to slip past his fingers and settle in the sand.

He had to find out what was going on, and fast.

He was in Bialya, right? Wasn't one of the members of the Light in Bialya? Princess Honey, or something like that? No, that wasn't right... oh, Queen Bee. That was it. Maybe she would help him- she had been at the Light meeting, after all.

His hologlove suddenly let out a small beep, and Dick glared at it as a projection appeared. A GPS marker? Why had he put one down there?

A distant 'boom' made him jerk his head up. From across the desert he could see a plume of smoke rising up from the sand- had that been a _tank_?

Luckily his GPS marker was in the opposite direction, so he began to walk, ignoring the other explosions and the drones flying around behind him.

He had been walking for a couple hours when it began to get dark. Dick didn't really mind the lengthy walk, actually. It was better than running up the Lexcorp stairs, at least, but he hoped the GPS marker was somewhat important- it would be such a waste if he came all this way for nothing.

"Wish I could remember why I put this stupid thing here," he complained as he drew finally approached it- he was just a dune away- there!

"Huh, m'guessing that's why," he whispered.

A large, metal object sat in the sand, out in the open. Dick threw himself behind a smaller dune. It was waaaaay too convenient for that thing to be in the open... it looked like a trap. Plus his assassin senses were tingling.

Steeling himself, Dick poked his head over the dune and took a moment to observe the area. He couldn't really see anything except the device, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

He tugged at his collar nervously (he did it automatically without thinking... was it a habit?) before making a decision and flipping over to to the machine.

Eh... bad call. The second he hit the ground, Bialyan soldiers stood up from the sand where they had been hiding. Dick cursed- Slade would have killed him if he had known that he made such a stupid mistake!

"Her Majesty wants him alive!" one of them shouted in Bialyan. Dick raised an eyebrow at this, grateful Luthor had been so insistent on him learning multiple languages. Why did Queen Bee think he was going to put up a fight? And how did she even know he was here if he himself didn't know the reason?

The soldiers were suddenly rushing him, and Dick was itching for a fight- these pathetic men needed to be shown who was boss. As much as he needed to find Queen Bee, he could at least have some fun first. Maybe kill a couple of the soldiers.

He really wished he had his sword.

Dick dropped a smoke bomb as they approached, covering the area with a thick cloud. Smirking, he moved through the fog like a shadow and knocked one man down with a bone-shattering kick. He fell to the ground.

Two more men loomed out of the smoke, and Dick reached into his utility belt for some shruikens and threw them expertly, each lodging themselves in the soldier's throats. A swift knee to the chin of the fourth soldier took him down as well, with a broken jaw for his troubles.

As the smoke cleared, he launched two more shruikens, each making a slight thud as they embedded themselves into the chests of more men. They fell to the ground. More of them tried to charge him, but he leaped straight up into the air, using one man's shoulders as a springboard to spin around and knock several soldiers to the ground.

Alright, now he was getting sick of this.

Moving quickly, Dick darted forward and flipped behind a man, whipping him around to face his comrades and putting a sharpened shruiken to his throat. They all froze.

Dick inwardly sighed with relief as they hesitantly lowered their weapons and stood down upon seeing their friend with a blade to his throat. For a split second he had wondered if they would continue to attack and forfeit their friend's life, but luckily they had more honor than that.

"You will take me to see the Queen," Dick hissed in Bialyan. "I will come with you willingly. There isn't any need for further killing."

The soldiers looked surprised that he could speak their language, and then one stepped forward.

"We will take you to her Majesty," he said. "Let our comrade go." Dick complied with his instructions and shoved his captive back towards the rest of the men. He stayed at the ready, though- trust was overrated these days.

The soldiers stood uneasily as one man brought out a radio and raised it to his mouth.

Suddenly, without warning, a black streak shot through the ranks, disarming them with ease.

"I'll hold that! Thanks!" a cheery voice said, and suddenly the black streak skidded to a stop, revealing Kid Flash- Wally, who dropped the weapons on the ground.

Oh, boy. Things were about to get interesting.

Before Dick could move, Kid Flash had attacked again, racing forward and slamming into another group of soldiers at top speed, sending them flying across the sand. There was noise behind him, and Dick turned just in time to see more men swept off their feet by green-skinned girl- a martian?

Wally was swinging a man around by his leg, and the Martian girl was floating closer and closer to him- and suddenly there was only one soldier left. Dick cursed inwardly- he needed those men to find Queen Bee!

As the final man was fleeing from the scene, the familiar sound of an arrow sounded from above him, and said arrow flew past his ear and towards the soldier. It burst into a bola and wrapped itself around the man's legs, efficientally tripping him.

He turned to see... Artemis? What was she doing here, too? Not that it wasn't good to see a familiar face (that didn't want to arrest him, so Wally didn't count), but what was going on?

"Artemis!" he greeted, grinning as he climbed up a dune to meet the archer while Kid Flash tied up the soldiers (he was safe to talk assassin business when the others weren't in hearing distance). She smiled at him- surprised that he was there, and wary, too. That was good. At least he wasn't the only one who felt like something was off here- besides the six month memory loss.

"Renegade!" she answered. "Wow, it's great to see a familiar face! But... um... what's with the collar?"

"Uh, I'm a little unclear on that myself," Dick mumbled, glancing around. Kid Flash and the Martian weren't within earshot yet, so... "Did your Dad put you up to this?" Her face hardened.

"No. Deathstroke put _you_ up to this?"

"I doubt it. He wouldn't have me working with heroes. And... memory loss?"

"Six months!" Artemis confirmed, and suddenly Kid Flash was there.

"Hey, um, Artemis, did you find out who it was those guys were attacking? And does anyone know where we are?" Dick braced himself, this wasn't going to be pretty.

"We're in Bialya, Kid Idiot," he sighed, and suddenly Wally yelped and sped backwards, out of Dick's reach.

"Renegade! What are you doing here?" he gasped, and Dick wanted to facepalm. He really hadn't realized he was there until now?

"Standing. Breathing," he answered, and suddenly Wally snarled.

"Killing?" he hissed. Dick scowled at him.

"Wait, don't fight, please!" the Martian girl pleaded, floating down and landing beside Artemis. "I know what's going on!" Dick seriously doubted that, but he crossed his arms and turned his gaze onto her.

"We're a team!" she cried triumphantly. "We work for the Justice League, us and Superboy!"

Dick only listened as far as 'we work for the Justice League' before he stopped listening, snorting in laughter instead. Artemis had a similar look on her face, although she was doing a much better job at hiding her laughter than he was.

Kid Flash glared at him.

"What's so funny?" he demanded as Dick snickered again.

"The notion that I would work with the Justice League is simply absurd," he explained. "My masters would never allow it."

"No, you've got to listen to me!" the Martian girl tried again. "I can restore your memories, help you remember-" Already Dick was backing away. Her, in his head? Heh, no. Not happening.

Although... It would kind of explain why he had a memory of Batman in his head.

No! He wouldn't get his hopes up. He needed to get back to Slade, _now_.

A single smokebomb, that was all it took to cause chaos.

Through the smoke and coughing, he found Artemis shielding her eyes from the smoke.

"I'm on my way to Queen Bee," he whispered. "You want in?" Her gaze immediately turned skeptical.

"Queen Bee ordered for me to be shot at by tanks," she growled. "I'm not exactly her biggest fan right now. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on the sidekicks."

Dick frowned, because neither of those seemed very logical, but shrugged anyway.

"Alright. See you later, then," he said, and vanished into the smoke. He snatched up one of the captured soldiers as he ran by and slashed his bonds, motioning for the man to follow.

Once they were clear, Dick turned to the man he had rescued.

"Your radio," he whispered in Biaylan. "Let me use it." The soldier hesitantly handed it over. Dick looked over the controls for a second before getting to work.

It didn't take very long for him to get a connection to Queen Bee.

Her low voice crackled over the tiny speaker.

"Renegade," she purred, making Dick shudder slightly. "What, if I may ask, is your reason for contacting me?" Her voice sounded tense, as if she was expecting something bad to happen at any moment. Something... something was off. But then again, everything was off right now. He decided to make his explination brief, he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"I'm having a slight problem," he answered. "I'm in Bialya, I can't remember the past six months of my life, and I can't contact Deathstroke. As a member of the Light, will you help me?"

There was a pause on the other end of the radio.

"Did you say you have no memory of the past six months?" She sounded incredulous, like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

"Yes," Dick replied a bit impatiently.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

Dick sighed in annoyance.

"I was doing a job for Luthor," he ground out. "Listen, can I get some help, here? I just ditched a couple of the Justice League's sidekicks, and as fun as it would be to beat them down, I really need to know what's going on right now."

"...Of course, Renegade," Queen Bee said, and she sounded very, very pleased with something. "I will send a truck for you right away."

Dick thanked her before he hung up, and sat down in the sand to wait.

The Bialyan man he was with stared at him curiously.

"You... you are... one of the Light?" the soldier asked suddenly. Dick snapped his head up to look at him.

"Yes," he responded, "I am."

The man gave him an odd look.

"Just because I am young does not mean I should be underestimated," Dick growled. "I am the apprentice of..." Here he had to pause, because there wasn't a word he was aware of that meant 'Deathstroke' in Bialyan, so he shrugged and said, "._..He of the face of black and orange_."

The effect was instantaneous. The soldier's eyes immediately widened, and the blood drained from his face. He muttered a tiny apology that Dick didn't care to reply to, and fell silent.

Dick couldn't help but wonder what kind of impression Slade had to have made on the Bialyans to have such an affect on them.

It wasn't long before a light was visible from across the desert- Queen Bee's truck, no doubt. In another couple of minutes the truck had arrived, along with several Bialyan soldiers. They were all armed, and surprisingly wary of him. Dick returned their uneasiness with a glare- his assassin senses were tingling (for like, the fifth time today), but at least he knew he was going back to the Light.

The ride to Queen Bee's base was oddly tense. The soldiers refused to relax, with their hands on their weapons and eyes on him. Dick, in return, kept his gaze in a glare and firmly fixed on them- and he kept his shruikens out in plain sight. If intimidation was their game, he was going to win it.

The truck pulled up at a small village, and Dick wasn't surprised to see that the soldiers had completely taken over the area- there wasn't a civilian in sight. He was lead into a surprisingly extravagant room, despite the tiny homes, and was suddenly face-to-face with Queen Bee.

"Welcome, Renegade," she purred, and suddenly Dick felt... something. It wasn't natural, it curled around his will and twisted it around so that he could hardly move. With a jolt, he realized that she was using her power on him- but why? Maybe it was just something she did around all males automatically, or maybe she specifically wanted to control... No, she wouldn't. She was an esteemed member of the Light.

"There's... no... need for t-that," he forced out through gritted teeth- speaking was suddenly difficult. She looked surprised that he had noticed it, and released him from her grasp.

"Well spotted, assassin," she complimented (though her tone was a bit colder than it was before).

"I _was_ trained by the best," Dick shot back, and suddenly she smiled.

"Ah, yes, your mentor. I assume you want to speak with him?"

Dick nodded, and she turned, beginning to head into a back room that he hadn't noticed before now.

"I will set up a transmission. Wait here."

Dick sighed as she left. Great, now he was stuck with the creepy soldiers. Bring on the intimidation techniques.

They stood absolutely no chance against him.

**_Line Break_**

Wally was nervous, although he really hated to admit it. Today just wasn't going his way- apart from the hot blonde archer chick that he had literally picked up on the way. According to Martian Lady, he had lost six months of his memory, ended up in a desert _with no food at all_, and encountered Renegade.

Oh yes, he remembered Renegade.

The crazy assassin kid that was always getting the best of Roy.

The _murderer._

Wally cursed himself for not being quick enough to catch the killer before he escaped. Sure, he had thrown a smoke bomb, but he should have done _something! _

And now, on top of all that, Martian Lady had to go into their heads to fix their memories.

Despite what she said, he didn't particularly trust her- who _would_ trust the strange green girl who claimed to be a friend and wanted to mess with your head? But he _did_ want his memory back, and she _had _said that J'onn was her uncle...

Martian Lady put her hands to her temples, and her eyes began to glow. Suddenly he and Artemis (wow, her name was like the greek goddess... it was perfect for her... she looked like a goddess, for sure...) were standing on a small platform, fragments of memories all around them. Wally looked around, eyes wide.

"I have brought you into my mind to share what I've remembered so far," a voice said, and Wally jumped as a glowing light appeared in front of them. "But I need your help." The light solidified and transformed into the Martian girl. "Together our broken memories can form a whole... if you open your minds to mine."

Whoa, what? That meant his deepest secrets would be hers!

"You want to pop through our private thoughts?" Artemis yelped indignantly, pulling back a little and echoing Wally's concerns exactly.

"I have no wish to intrude, but-"

Wally suddenly had an idea... maybe not his smartest one, but it would definately impress Artemis... hopefully...

"You need to get into our heads to find out what happened, got it. My brain's all yours... try not to let it's brilliance overwhelm you!" he interrupted, and was suddenly reminded of a memory of one of his best friend's, Dick's, voice- _"Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?"_

Trying and failing to restrain his grin at the word play, he glanced over at Artemis- she didn't look very happy... almost scared. Well, he could fix that.

Moving closer to her, he reached out and took her hand, flashing a reassuring smile her way. She looked at him for a second.

"...Last six months _only, _and _only_ what you need," she sighed reluctantly.

_Bam! Oh yeah! Points to the Wall-Man!_

Martian Lady nodded and reached out her hands, and suddenly ghostly apparations of her own hands reached out and settled on his head, and suddenly all he could see were memories-

_"The watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert. Spectral-analysis revealed it to be non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site, what landed there. Bialya is a rougue state, ruled by Queen Bee, and not a member of the League's U.N. charter. All communications are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times. You'll land in Quarac, by Bialya's border, two clicks from the hot zone."_

_They were moving stealthily through the desert, staying on lookout for any Bialyan soldiers that they could happen across- Superboy had the hefty device on his back, and Wally was munching his snack. Suddenly a familiar voice called out, "All clear!" Wait... Dick?_

_He was following Artemis, crawling across the dunes as they approached the area. Peeking over the edge, he could see a large tent set up, with guards all around. _

_"The Bialyans control the site," the archer whispered, glancing at the small, black-haired boy beside her-_

_"Set up here," a deep voice instructed, and Superboy dropped the heavy device onto the sand-_

_"We'll be up and running in no time," Renegade informed them quietly, his fingers moving so quickly that even Wally was having a hard time keeping up with what he was doing- wait... Renegade... Renegade was Dick Grayson! _

It all came back to him in a rush- Renegade's attack on the team, the team's retaliation and capture of Renegade, the interrogation, Amazo, the nano-bots, the news that Renegade had been patrolling with Batman, Clayface... But the memories weren't finished yet...

_"Jackpot! The site's covered in zeta beam radiation! They're getting non-terrestrial material in the tent!" Renegade continued, pausing to tug at his collar for a moment. Wally glared Dick's back distrustfully. _

_"I can check it out in camoulflauge mode!" Miss Martian said, stepping forward."_

_"Good idea. Go," that same deep voice commanded, and Miss Martian nodded. Superboy turned towards her. _

_"Be careful," the clone whispered. _

_"And maintain telepathic contact."_

_"I will, Aqualad." _

Wally gasped, his eyes shooting wide open.

"Aqualad and Renegade!" he yelped, hearing Artemis and Miss Martian's voice say the same thing. Wally grit his teeth. Renegade- Dick, was still out there, and there was no telling what he'd do!

"Where are they?" Artemis questioned. "What happened next?"

"I don't know!" Miss Martian replied frantically. "That's the last thing I- we, remember!"

Suddenly Wally was very, very aware that he was holding _Artemis's _hand, at the exact moment she realized that she was holding _his _hand. They jerked away from each other awkwardly, and Wally rubbed the back of his head, avoiding eye contact with the blond.

"We landed 24 hours ago. If Kaldur's been wandering the desert that long... well, that's not good for a guy with gills... And who knows how many people Renegade's killed by now! We have to find them!"

Miss Martian held her hands to her temples and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Uh... what are you doing, M'gann?" Wally asked, glancing at her, and she opened her eyes.

"I was calling the bioship," she explained. "Renegade installed a tracking program into the ship before we got here, back at the cave. He said he had nothing better to do."

Renegade.

Wally didn't know what to think of the assassin anymore.

Dick Grayson had been his and Roy's best friend. They had had fun, and enjoyed each other's company- and then he had _betrayed _them! He had been _using them _the entire time! And despite what the _murderer _claimed, that he _had _ actually been their friends and that he _did _care about them... Wally found that extremely difficult to believe.

Stuff like that... along with the unacceptable killings... weren't that easy to forgive in Wally's eyes.

The Bioship pulled up above them and landed. Wally went inside first, followed by Artemis and Miss Martian. The green-skinned girl went straight to the front console and studied a display intently for a moment.

"Aqualad's close!" she announced happily. "But he's not moving... and I don't see a signal for Renegade... either he somehow deactivated his tracer, or he never put one on himself."

Wally snorted. Go figure...

"Let's go get Aqualad," he said. "Renegade can wait... for now."

**_Line Break_**

Queen Bee could hardly contain her excitement- and relief. At last, the most efficient assassin for the Light had returned! She, like the other members of their organization, had heard the news of his capture and containment by the Justice League and Batman, and had automatically assumed the worst. But now...

The boy remembered nothing, of his capture, his time with the League, any possible brainwashing they could have used on him. He was free to be molded once again.

And that was _exactly _what the Light needed right now.

Oh, she had no doubt that it was Psimon's work. He had reported to her earlier, about the team of sidekicks that had attempted to sneak into their testing sites. He had assured her that he had taken care of the situation... and now she knew how.

Queen Bee pushed aside her thoughts and headed to the large, high-tech computer in the corner- which looked very out-of-place in the desolate little town they had taken over for the time being. She hurriedly called Luthor.

The communication connected, and the screen was filled with a nice view of Lex Luthor's office. Lex himself was seated at his desk, as usual, and he was flipping through papers, a very serious look on his face.

"This had better be important, L-2-" he began, and Queen Bee felt a jolt of annoyance. It was disappointing that she couldn't use her powers over communication devices, so that would be of no help here.

"Luthor," she said, and he lifted his head in surprise and stared directly at the camera. It wasn't every day that she used his real name. "I have news- important news. Is Deathstroke with you? He will need to hear this."

"I'm right here," the mercenary's voice said through her speakers, and suddenly he had melted out of the shadows, right next to the genius's desk.

"Excellent," Queen Bee stated, getting down to business. "I have your apprentice, Deathstroke."

There was silence on the other end of the communication. Both men had froze.

Deathstroke leaned forward, a glint in his eye.

"Where."

It was stated so calmly that Queen Bee was almost fooled- but then she looked at the screen a little closer, and could see his fists tightly clenched. Oh yes, she was treading on dangerous ground.

"Here, in another room," she answered. "I have soldiers watching him-"

"They won't be able to hold him there for long," Deathstroke interrupted, and Queen Bee glared at him.

"You misunderstand. He will not be going anywhere," she declared, "seeing as he has absolutely no memory of the past six months. He still believes he is your loyal apprentice, and does not recall his capture by the Justice League. Why would he have any reason to try to run?"

Silence on the other end yet again.

Luthor spoke this time.

"What- how has this happened?" he asked, and Queen Bee felt a surge of pride.

"I believe my telepath, Psimon, had something to do with it."

She could see the smirks on their faces (Or at least Luthor's, she assumed Deathstroke was smiling behind his mask).

"He wishes to speak with you," she continued, with a meaningful nod of her head. Luthor's smile widened.

"Well, we shouldn't keep the poor, confused child waiting. Bring him in," he requested, and Queen Bee turned and returned back to the room where Renegade was still staring down her guards.

"Deathstroke and Luthor wish to speak with you," she announced, interrupting them and making several soldiers jump in surprise. Renegade nodded and followed her, suddenly tensing as they approached the computer where the two men were still waiting.

"Masters," Renegade said once they'd entered the room, kneeling respectfully. Luthor sent another meaningful look at Deathstroke, and the mercenary nodded.

"Apprentice," he greeted. "I hear you've been having some... memory problems."

Renegade nodded.

"The last thing I remember is retrieving kryptonite for you from the Museum of Curious Artifacts in Jump City and encountering Cheshire, of the League of Assassins," Renegade recalled, frowning suddenly. "And... there's something else, too..."

"What is it, apprentice?" Deathstroke barked out, and Renegade flinched at his tone.

"I- I can feel a memory," he explained. "It's so close, but I just can't..."

Lex leaned forward in his chair.

"Don't worry about trying to remember, child. Your memory has been severely damaged, I'm sure Queen Bee's assistant, Psimon, would be quite happy to help with that when he returns." He gave Queen Bee a look, and she grinned at the implications he was suggesting. Oh yes, Psimon would definately help- _erase_ any memories of the Justice League he could find.

Renegade nodded again.

"Fine," he said. "But what about... this?" The boy tilted his head up to reveal a metal collar around his neck- an inhibitor collar.

"You can't get it off?" Luthor asked, and Renegade nodded again.

"I don't have the right equipment," he said. "Why am I in Bialya, anyway? What was the mission? Obviously I can't remember..."

"Don't worry about that, apprentice," Slade said, giving Queen Bee a satisfied look. "Stay with Queen Bee for now." He turned his attention back to Queen Bee.

"I'm coming personally for him," he told her, and she nodded. She hadn't expected anything less of the mercenary.

"Well then," Luthor said, "We will see you soon, both of you." He smiled one last time before reaching forward and cutting off the communication.

Renegade sighed as the screen went black.

"What now?" the young assassin asked, and Queen Bee blinked at him.

"Now, we wait," she said.

Soon, very soon, the Light would be back in possession of one of their greatest assets...

**_Line Break_**

The psychic tornado was dying down, and suddenly M'gann found herself in Superboy's arms, the contents of the tent scattered all around them in the sand. She looked up at the CADMUS clone, and felt her heart speed up- his eyes were boring into hers intensely despite the smile on his face, and before she knew it they were leaning forward together, getting closer, closer-

_VROOM, VROOM!_

Miss Martian struggled to contain her disappointment as the two aliens jumped apart in surprise. She twisted in Superboy's arms to see the strange robotic sphere rolling towards them, chirping happily. They stared at it for a moment until Superboy looked down at her and spoke.

"Can I keep it?"

She giggled, and the two of them stood as the bioship touched down next to them. Artemis and Wally had stayed above them in the bioship with Aqualad (who was on the medical cot, still unconscious but rehydrating) to make sure he didn't wake up before M'gann could restore his memories.

Wally dashed out of the ship first, finishing an energy bar that had been stored in the aircraft.

"What was that tornado twister thingy? It was way cool! Did you guys win?"

"Psimon won't be bothering us anymore," she said softly as Artemis exited the ship. "How's Aqualad?"

The blond archer frowned.

"He's doing alright. But he's not fully healed yet, and he hasn't woken up. He's still speaking Atlantian gibberish!"

M'gann sighed.

"I can't restore his memories until he's fully healed," she said. Suddenly Kid Flash yelped. Everyone looked at him.

"I just remembered! We forgot Renegade again!"

Artemis's eyes widened, and Superboy grunted. Miss Martian winced- they _really _needed to find the assassin before he hurt anyone else.

"What do we do?" Wally moaned, slapping his forehead dramatically, and suddenly M'gann had a thought.

"I think I can try to sense him with my mind," she told her teammates. "Before, everyone was so confused, including myself, that it was too difficult to locate people through the mindlink. But now..."

"Do it," Superboy growled. "We need to find him."

M'gann nodded and closed her eyes, sending mental probes out and across the desert. She could sense every tiny mouse, every little beetle, a Bialyan patrol. She had nearly reached the edge of her range when she felt a mind that was distantly familiar...

She honed in on it, and was surprised to feel that it was near multiple other minds. M'gann bypassed them all, however- she was only in search of one mind, and suddenly she could feel his sharp, calculating thoughts.

_"Renegade!"_ she called out to him, and she felt him freeze. His thoughts went wild before clearing completely.

_"Who are you and what are you doing in my head?" _he snarled, and suddenly terrible, terrible thoughts filled Miss Martian's mind- thoughts of death, and torture, and pain, and blood, so much blood-

Fortunately she had seen this trick before.

She backed of Renegade's mind quickly, before the images could sink in. Opening her eyes, she found herself next to Superboy, surrounded by the team once again.

"I found him!" she announced. "He's farther than Aqualad was, but he's still in my range! We need to find him!"

"To the bioship!" Kid Flash shouted dramatically, zipping up the ramp and disappearing into the ship. The rest of the team followed him. M'gann sat in the pilot seat and put her hands on the controls.

There was still one last person that needed her help, and she was determined to do so.

_We're coming, Renegade._

**_Line Break_**

Dick was really, really bored.

_Really, really_ bored.

He had been taken back into the main room of the building after his conversation with Slade and Luthor, and ow he was waiting for Deathstroke to come and get him, as he had been instructed to do.

Had he mentioned that he was really, really bored?

Suddenly, he could hear a commotion outside. A soldier burst into the room.

"Your Majesty!" he yelled. Queen Bee appeared from the back room.

"What is it?" she asked irritably, and the man bowed to her respectfully before straightening.

"We've just recieved word that the sidekicks have overpowered Psimon!" he reported. "One of our patrols reported them to be flying this way in some sort of ship-"

From outside, a large thud and gunfire cut him off.

"...they're here, My Queen," the man said nervously.

The woman's expression was thunderous.

"Idiot!" she yelled. "Hold them! I require time to escape!" The man nodded and poked his head out the door, then jumped back inside with a yelp as something exploded.

"T-they... they're taking out our troops with _ease,_ My Queen!"

Queen Bee looked slightly panicked.

"I cannot allow myself to be captured," she muttered... and then her gaze fell onto Dick. For a moment she looked very conflicted- emotions flew across her face faster than Dick could read. She swallowed.

"Renegade..." she said reluctantly. "Hold them off until I can escape. I have information that cannot be found by the Justice League... and as angry as Slade will be, it is in the best interest of the Light for you to help me get away."

Dick nodded stiffly. In the back of his mind he wondered why Slade would be angry, but then he dismissed the thought- he needed to concentrate.

"You don't even have to ask," he told her. "But, I've been wondering... do you have a sword I can borrow?"

**_Line Break_**

With the way they were demolishing the Bialyan forces, Wally was totally not expecting it when a shadow exited one of the houses in the tiny town and strode out towards the middle of the street. He knew he _should _have expected it, but it caught him by surprise anyway.

Of _course _Renegade would ally himself with the Biaylans.

And who gave him _a sword?_

The assassin stood directly in their path, sword drawn and a scowl on his face. Wally skidded to a stop and watched as Miss Martian, Superboy, and Artemis froze as well, eyes on the small, black-haired boy in front of them.

Artemis stepped forward carefully. They had agreed that she would be the one to speak first, considering the fact that she had known him before they had both joined the team.

"Artemis," Renegade hissed. "I should have known you would ally yourself with the sidekicks. You never had the heart to be an assassin." Artemis glared at him.

"I've changed. _You've _changed," she insisted. "You need to trust me. We're friends, right?"

Renegade laughed.

"If we're really friends, how about you turn around and shoot Flash Jr. over there with an arrow? Or Martian Lady?"

"I'm not going to shoot our friends, Renegade."

_"Our _friends? Oh, still trying to convince me that in the last six months I joined the Justice League and made friends with all the sidekicks?"

"We're not sidekicks!" Wally yelled, shooting daggers at the other boy.

"Please, you have to believe us!" Miss Martian begged, floating forward a tad, but stopping when Renegade pointed his sword at her in a threatening manner.

"Would you believe it, if you were in my position?"

"I did!" Artemis said. "And I was right to do so! My memory's fine now! I remember everything!"

"Do you, now," Renegade sighed, glancing at his sword in uninterest.

Wally decided to take a chance.

"I thought you were my friend, Renegade."

The assassin stiffened.

"Roy and I both thought so."

Renegade's head snapped up to glare icily at him. Wally continued.

"But I guess you're not _feeling the aster _today."

There was silence. The team was giving him odd looks, but Wally didn't care. Renegade looked shocked, terrified, and angry, all in the same facial expression. Finally the assassin moved his sword into a fighting stance slowly.

"How did you figure it out, Wally?" he growled.

"Simple- we found out when you chose to be part of the team instead of be locked up for life- you know, during the six months that you can't remember. How else would I know who you are?"

Renegade snarled.

"I don't believe you."

And then he sprang forward, radiating danger as he went. Wally dove aside as he hurtled past, headed straight for Artemis. She fired off an arrow, but Renegade dodged it skillfully and swung his sword towards her. She did a back handspring to avoid the blade, and a lock of beautiful blond hair was sliced off.

Superboy charged Renegade before he could continue after Artemis, and managed to knock the assassin off his feet. Renegade rolled across the sand for a few meters before somersaulting to his feet and whirling around just in time to dodge Superboy's fist.

Wally shot forward while Renegade's back was turned, slamming into the assassin boldly. Instead of tumbling to the ground, however, Renegade used the momentum to roll forward and spring into the air, bringing his sword slashing towards Miss Martian. She gasped and attempted to move backwards, but his sword clipped her arm as he flew past. She gasped in pain and used her telekinesis to send a blast of sand in his direction, temporarily blinding him.

Superboy took a moment to ensure that M'gann was alright before attacking again with a roar- Wally saw Renegade reach for something in his belt but come up empty handed, and Superboy landed another hit.

Wally took a wild guess at what he was reaching for.

"No kryptonite," he crowed, "Batman took all your dangerous stuff away when you joined the team!"

Renegade glared at him, standing up from the sand, and Wally knew he had guessed right.

He streaked forwards once more, this time aiming to disarm the assassin, but Renegade dodged him easily and stuck a foot out, efficiently tripping him.

_Really, Wally, Really? You fell for that_ again?

Wally spit sand out of his mouth as he struggled to rise. Glancing over, he could see Artemis and Renegade engaged in a deadly hand-to-hand dance, exchanging kicks and blows at a rapid pace. They seemed to be decently matched, until Renegade dropped and whipped his legs around, yanking Artemis's legs out from underneath her. Wally darted forwards again, this time managing to shove Renegade away from the fallen archer.

_"M'gann, can't you just grab him and restore his memory?" _he asked mentally.

_"I can't, I can only do it if he's holding still!" _the Martian replied.

_"I'll get him to hold still,"_ Superboy growled, then ran at the acrobatic boy. Swinging his fists, he began to put the moves Black Canary had taught him to good use- unfortunately, he was unused to fighting against an acrobat. The agile assassin dodged his blows easily, slipping below and above every punch or kick Superboy threw at him.

"So much for getting him to hold still," Wally muttered.

M'gann's eyes glowed with power, and she raised a hand. Renegade's sword was ripped from his grasp, and the assassin cursed audibly.

"Tsk, tsk, Renegade, language!" Wally quipped, zipping forward and sliding under Renegade's legs, knocking him to the ground.

Artemis dove forward and landed a kick to Renegade's head while he was still struggling to get to his feet. She leaped on top of him, and Wally followed. Together they managed to pin the squirming assassin into the sand.

"M'gann- _oof! __Hurry!"_ Artemis hissed, groaning as Renegade kicked and thrashed in their grip.

"Get off!" the assassin snarled. "Stay out of my head!" He struggled even more fiercely, and Wally yelped as the smaller boy managed to kick him right between his legs. He was forced to let go and fell to his knees, whimpering. Artemis couldn't hold on alone, and Renegade ripped out of her grasp.

Renegade spun around to face the team and fell into a fighting stance, a smirk dancing on his face.

"Nice try, sidekicks. It was a good attempt, but I think my work here is..." He trailed off, his attention focused on something behind them. Suddenly he bolted forward, panic on his face.

"Wally, look out!" he yelled, tackling Wally to the ground as bullets whizzed over their heads. Wally gasped as the wind was knocked out of him from the impact. When the gunfire stopped he rolled over- what had just happened?

Two Bialyan soldiers were on the ground, guns beside them. Miss Martian still had her hand extended towards them, having just knocked them out. Wally stared at the scene uncomprehendingly for a moment before it hit him. Those soldiers must have been some of the ones they had knocked out earlier, and had regained consciousness while they were trying to take Renegade down. He had been distracted by the fight... he would have been dead right now if Renegade hadn't...

_Renegade._

He turned his head to see the assassin on the ground next to him, an equally shocked look on his face. Apparently he didn't believe what he had just done, either. Their eyes met.

"You _are _my friend, Wally," Renegade whispered solemnly- and then he yelped in surprise as Superboy grabbed him in an unbreakable grip, pinning his arms to his sides.

Wally stood shakily, staring at the thrashing assassin.

"How come you didn't just do that in the first place, Superboy?" Artemis complained as Miss Martian landed on the ground and approached Superboy. Renegade struggled in his grip frantically.

"Don't- let go! _Let me go! Stay out of my head!_" He thrashed and twisted his head around, but Superboy didn't budge an inch. Miss Martian put her hands on the sides of Renegade's head, staying out of reach of his kicking legs.

"Calm down," she said softly, kindly, "I'm not going to hurt you." Renegade glared up at her distrustfully, but there was nothing he could do. M'gann's eyes began to glow, and Renegade's own eyes widened before snapping shut. His muscles relaxed in Superboy's hold.

Everything was still for a few more moments, and then Miss Martian's eyes returned to normal. Renegade slumped into the sand and groaned.

"Renegade? Are you alright?" Miss Martian asked, concerned, and Artemis approached him.

Renegade opened his eyes.

"Y-yeah," he said shakily. "I'm good... I-"

Artemis held out a hand and he took it, rising to his feet. He took a deep breath.

"I... I'm sorry," he apologized softly to the blond. "I... I didn't mean it, I just-"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Artemis said, smiling slightly. "It's cool."

Renegade turned to Miss Martian, and his eyes widened in horror.

"M'gann... I hurt you!" he cried, observing the shallow cut in her arm. She smiled brightly at him.

"It's alright!" she exclaimed. "Martians heal pretty quickly, I'll be fine!" Renegade shook his head.

"No, it isn't alright," he said. "I'm sorry, Miss M..."

Wally marched straight up to him.

"What's your game?" he hissed in the younger boy's face. "What are you playing at?" Renegade looked startled.

"What are you talking about?" he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Saving me!" Wally snarled. Renegade blinked at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you not want me to save you?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then what did you mean?"

Wally growled.

"Why do you keep acting like we're still friends? Why do you keep saying that?"

Renegade looked at him hard.

"I told you we were still friends even when I had no memory, Wally. Even when I was an _assassin _I considered you my friend. What more proof do you need that I still care about you and Roy, that you guys are still my friends?"

Wally froze. Renegade... Dick had a point... and technically that _was _proof that Renegade hadn't been just using them when he became his and Roy's friends. But... there was still the murders...

"Okay, so I admit you weren't using us," he whispered. Renegade snorted.

"I could have told you that."

Wally glared at him, and he went quiet.

"I... I'll try. I'll try to forgive."

Renegade smiled at him- a real, true, smile, not his usual cocky smirk.

"Thanks, Wally," he said sincerely. Suddenly he jerked around. "Where's Aqualad?"

"He's back in the bioship with Sphere," Superboy explained. M'gann and Artemis began to head back, with Renegade and Superboy in tow. Wally trailed along behind them.

He had a lot of things to think about.

A/N: I've been really reluctant to post this one... I feel like it's not what you guys were expecting... but here it is anyway. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Wally's finally on the road to forgive Dick! Plus, this chapter is my longest one yet- like, 8,000 words! Hope y'all are happy!

Guys, thank you so much for all the ideas that you sent in! I love it! If you get anymore ideas, don't hesitate to send them in! Some of them are really awesome!

So earlier in this chapter, there's this one part where Dick kind of uses a Bialyan soldier as a hostage for a minute. I've always felt like people that are in groups, such as the army and stuff like that, would have a sense of loyalty towards one another- I don't think they would be willing to shoot their comrade for a target, even if they were being commanded by Queen Bee.

A couple of people have been PMing and commenting me about pairings here. Guys, I'm following the actual storyline. Chalant is CANON in Young Justice. I realize some of you don't like Chalant at all (for those of you new to this, Chalant is RobinXZatanna), but there _will _be Chalant moments in here, because that's what happens in the actual storyline. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is. But... for some of you DickXBabs shippers... I bet I can slip some moments for them in sometime... and Traught isn't really canon, nor is there anytime when I could really put a romantic moment between those two in, but Homefront is coming up, and a couple more chapters where Dick and Artemis will get some time together as well. Again, I'm really sorry if you hate chalant. Hopefully you don't hate me or dislike the story for it, it'll only be in the episodes that Zatanna is in. If you feel the need to, you're quite welcome to skip those chapters. Sorry.

Okay... thanks for the reviews! You guys are the best!


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